Pakistani Government once again plans to expel all Afghan refugees from July 01. They had imposed a deadline earlier warning more than 2 million Afghans refugees to leave the country by the time. Repatriation camps have been setup in Sindh and Punjab provinces. Officials say those Afghan refugees who do not have Proof of Registration (PoR) Cards and other travelling documents should exit the country, or else they will be arrested and deported. Even those with PoR cards will are supposed to leave the country as it will not be recognized from July.

There are 1.7 million Afghan refugees living in Pakistan with legal documentation, while another million illegally. The government has been silent on the matter. However, it is clear that if Pakistan expels three million Afghan refugees, the government will not be able to accommodate them. According to concerned authorities, the government can only provide basic facilities for 400,000 returnees that include shelter for 72 hours, transport cost, $150 for each returnee and land plots.

It would be against the Geneva Conventions to expel Afghan refugees by force against their will.

Pakistan is bound to fulfill its obligation under international conventions on refugee and human rights. They cannot expel Afghan refugees who hold refugee registration cards, by force until they are not prepared to repatriate voluntarily. Our government and the humanitarian organizations are not prepared to manage facilities for such a mass exodus of returnees.

There should be a joint sustainable strategy of repatriation of Afghan refugees, between Islamabad and Kabul, to make sure the sudden expulsion does not create a humanitarian crisis. The international community and the United Nations should urge Pakistan to review the decision and allow Afghan refugees more time for their volunteer repatriation. Forced expulsion would be a serious challenge not only for the Afghan Government to arrange their relocation with its meager resources, but it could become a humanitarian crisis for the world.

The Afghan Government cannot accommodate about three million possible returnees. It will cause a crisis of management and security challenge to deal with such big number of repatriates.