KP orders deportation of over two thousand Afghan refugees

[A1Kaid]

Pakistan is the Afghan's second home. Sending back people to face the bullets of Nato is completely unjustified.

Their Government is in cooperation with NATO and NATO is training ANA, some Afghan tribes and villages are already working with NATO in community development (aka COIN). I think it's justified the Afghan war has pretty much waned down and we may see a scale down of NATO troops this year if progress and stability is made in Afg.

 

[Dance]

Illegal Afghans given a month to leave KP


PESHAWAR, April 25: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government here on Wednesday set a one-month deadline for illegal Afghan nationals to leave the province or face legal action.

District Coordination Officer Siraj Ahmad Khan told a press conference that illegal Afghan nationals should leave the province by May 25 otherwise they would be treated according to the law of the land.

“Police will arrest illegal Afghan nationals under 14 Foreign Act and they will be deported to their country after May 25,” said Mr Khan, who was accompanied by Commissioner for Afghan Refugees Zaheerul Islam.

He said that the government had decided to expel illegal Afghan nationals from the province and action would be started from Peshawar where approximately 400,000
undocumented Afghans were residing.

“Peshawar has been overburdened because of influx of internally displaced persons and prolonged presence of Afghans,” the DCO said.

He added that illegal Afghan nationals were involved in criminal activities.

He said that illegal Afghans had overburdened Peshawar’s infrastructure and had also role in lawlessness.

Mr Khan said that registered Afghan refugees possessing valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards had been exempted till December 2012.

The federal government had issued PoR cards to 1.7 million refugees, residing in 42 camps and in urban areas.

Pakistan, sheltering the largest refugee population since early 1980s, Afghanistan and United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees had signed a tripartite agreement to legalise stay of registered Afghans till December next.

The government has been issuing such deadlines to illegal Afghans since 2001, but did not implement the same. However, police had launched a crackdown against Afghan prayer leaders some time ago and deported many of them.

According to officials, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa is hosting 1.2 million Afghans including 400,000 illegal. A large number of Afghan nationals has been running different businesses in the province.

The official said that the government was very serious about the issue. Police would arrest every illegal Afghan national and would deport him after legal process, he added.

The DCO said that government had set up committees in urban and semi-urban areas of the province to collect data about the presence of undocumented Afghan nationals. He said
that committees were conducting surveys in refugee hosting areas that would be shared with the departments concerned.

He said that that city district government had imposed Section 144 in Peshawar and bounded property dealers and owners not to rent out houses to illegal Afghans.

He said that dealers would provide particulars of the Afghan tenants to the area police station before renting out a house to the family.

To curb cross-border movement of illegal Afghans, the DCO said, political administrations of the tribal agencies concerned in Fata had been directed to take appropriate measures.

To a question, he said that police and other agencies would also collect data of Afghan students studying in religious seminaries and other educational institutions in the province.

He said that Afghan students having legal status could continue their education and police would not harass them.


Illegal Afghans given a month to leave KP | DAWN.COM

 

[Jango]

Good riddance.

Good step by the government, but why only in KPK??

Get them away from all the numerous ' bastis' in Isl and Rwp.

 

[Dance]

Good riddance.

Good step by the government, but why only in KPK??

Get them away from all the numerous ' bastis' in Isl and Rwp.

And Karachi too!

 

[Jango]

And Karachi too!

Never been to karachi so can't say about there, but everytime one goes from Isl to Rwp, there is a HUGE afghan basti right in front of NESCOM hospital and Metro.

 

[Dance]

Never been to karachi so can't say about there, but everytime one goes from Isl to Rwp, there is a HUGE afghan basti right in front of NESCOM hospital and Metro.

Theres SO many illegal afghans in Karachi, they've set up a lot slums around Karachi and reside there

AFP: Afghan refugees arrested for violence in Pakistan's Karachi

 

[mjnaushad]

Many will go home anyway.... Because summer is coming.... They'll be back inwinter

 

[Dance]

Illegal Afghan immigrants: KP government to launch 'clean-up' operation

The government of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa has planned to launch a crackdown against the illegal Afghan immigrants in the province.

A clean-up operation against Afghan citizens, who have been illegally staying in district Peshawar and its outskirts, will be initiated after a month; the operation could be expanded to other parts of the province, said District Co-ordinator Officer, Siraj Mohammad Khan, while giving briefing to media persons here on Wednesday.

Flanked by Syed Zaheerul Islam, Commissioner Afghan Refugees (CAR), Director Information, Shoaib Khan, he said that government has decided to launch area-wise clean-up operation against illegal Afghan citizens in Peshawar and elsewhere after one month's deadline.

He said that basic aims are to establish peace and improve law-and-order situation, which was quite better several months ago.
Siraj Khan said that peace is imperative for the promotion of business and trade activities; therefore the government is going to take a decision in better interest of people of the province.

He said that district government had already asked the owners to submit a true copy of the contract before they rent their house to anyone.
Under the 188 Foreign Act, he said, all illegal Afghan immigrants will be deported after launching a full-fledged crackdown from 25th May.

However, he clarified that the registered Afghan citizens and granting Afghan Refugees' status could not be grilled under the clean-up operation.
He explained that district government has constituted different committees to collect data of illegal Afghan immigrants in district Peshawar, directed to submit immediately a comprehensive report to take prompt action against the said immigrants.

He informed that about 0.8 million Afghans are illegally staying in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa out of which half of them, 0.4 million, are residing in district Peshawar.
Regarding the stay of illegal Afghans in religious seminaries, he said that the clean-up operation would be carried out where Afghans are without any documented evidence and proof in district Peshawar.

About the registered Afghans Refugees, he explained that government and international organisations are providing all kind of facilities to them, saying that UN agency for Afghan Refugees (UNHCR) already announced to extend US $150 per Afghan family after initiating of volunteer repatriation from 10 December 2012.
Regarding the validity and invalidity of Afghans in the operation, he said that the data of registered Afghan immigrants with the relevant department and agencies would be available through which the legality of the immigrants could be ascertained.

Syed Zaheerul Islam, Commissioner CAR while talking to reporters on sideline of the briefing said that a total number of 1.7 million Afghans are registered, whereas more than 1.2 million are unregistered in the country.
He repeated that a total of 0.8 million unregistered Afghan immigrants staying in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa out of which 0.4 million are residing without having any documented proof in district Peshawar.

Zaheer maintained that about 42 Afghan Refugees' camps have been established in the country, out of which 29 camps exist in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

The camps have also been established in Balochistan, Sindh and Punjab provinces, he added.

Illegal Afghan immigrants: KP government to launch 'clean-up' operation | Business Recorder

 

[Dance]

Repatriation: Following deadline, 100 refugees retreat to Afghanistan

PESHAWAR:
After a month’s deadline was given to illegal Afghan refugees residing in Peshawar, over 100 families have retreated to Afghanistan, District Coordinating Officer (DCO) Siraj Ahmed Khan said on Thursday.

In order to improve the law and order situation, he added, the district administration has asked the refugees to leave the city and return to their own country within one month, ending on May 24.

Though the deadline has ended, however, the Afghan government has sought an extension maintaining that there are many areas in Afghanistan where the situation is critical and it is hard for Afghans to settle down. He said the Afghan government has also requested the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government to relax their policy for Afghan refugees and grant another extension.

The official said that respecting the request of the neighbouring country, a high-level meeting has been summoned at the DCO office on May 25 to consider whether giving a deadline extension is viable. Presently, he stated, 0.4 million Afghans refugees are illegally residing in Peshawar and a decision about their stay would be taken during the upcoming meeting.

To a question, he said if the meeting does not allow the extension then the already constituted police, towns and revenue staff committees would take action against the refugees under the foreign act.


Repatriation: Following deadline, 100 refugees retreat to Afghanistan – The Express Tribune