Thousands protest at Pak-Afghan border against decision to restrict border crossings
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From Nov 1, all Afghan nationals entering Pakistan have been required to show a valid passport and visa, as per the new "one document regime" which replaced previous special travel permit allowances for divided tribes along the border.
Thousands of people on Monday (Nov 6) protested at the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Balochistan against the Pakistani government's decision to restrict border crossings for those not having a visa and passport. From Nov 1, all Afghan nationals entering Pakistan have been required to show a valid passport and visa, as per the new "one document regime" which replaced previous special travel permit allowances for divided tribes along the border.
On X, images shared by The Khorasan Diary showed people including local tribes, and trade unions demonstrating against Islamabad's decision. The decision is primarily affecting tribes in southern Afghanistan, who regularly cross the border for work or family visits using a local document known as "tazkira."
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The change follows a nationwide crackdown on illegal Afghan immigrants in Pakistan, and an announcement that Islamabad would deport such immigrants.
Since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, Pakistan has hosted a large number of Afghan refugees, and nearly 2.9 million (of refugees) still live in the country.
A report by the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions, which deals with Afghan refugees, said that over 1.3 million refugees have Proof of Registration (PoR) cards and over 800,000 have Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs).
However, 700,000 Afghans have been living in Pakistan without any documents, the report added.
Pakistan has brushed off calls from the United Nations (UN), human rights groups and Western embassies to expel more than a million of 4 million Afghans from the country.
As of Sunday, the number of illegal Afghan immigrants who have been "voluntarily repatriated" from Pakistan stands at 188,738.
Last week, the UN's International Organisation for Migration and UNICEF expressed concern for the safety of children and families affected by the expulsion, saying a humanitarian crisis was unfolding with winter on the way.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban administration is struggling to cope with the influx and has set up temporary transit camps where food and medical assistance will be provided. According to a report by the news agency Reuters, refugee groups have reported chaotic and desperate scenes at the camps.
