Afghan returnees from Pakistan raise concerns about lack of shelter, need for winter assistance
Kabul, Nov 24 – A number of Afghan migrants who have come back from Pakistan say they’re heading into a tough winter. They’re struggling to find housing, needing winter aid, and facing trouble getting electronic ID cards (tazkira), the local media reported on Monday.
When asked what the biggest hurdle was, Abdul Baqi, one of those who returned, explained, “Our main problem is that we have no shelter. When we return to the country, we don’t know where to go. We ask the Islamic Emirate to address our situation.” He added that whatever aid is available is far from enough, and their basic needs remain unmet—Tolo News relayed this, too.
Abdul Bari, another returnee, stated, “Everyone knows most people are homeless, spending their days in the streets and along the roads.” While Abdul Malik said they’re being asked to apply for electronic ID cards once they reach their provinces, urging authorities to actually issue them.
Following similar pleas, Abdul Qahar called on the Taliban government to provide essential items such as tents and shelters.
Earlier, several Afghan refugees in Pakistan claimed they’re enduring relentless pressure from local police—searches, arrests, and exploitation of their vulnerability for profit. A piece in the Afghanistan‑based newspaper 8AM Media (Hasht‑e‑Subh Daily) described how Afghans in Pakistan lack basic rights and live under constant fear. Human‑rights and refugee organisations have largely stayed silent amid the government’s shortcomings in protecting these residents.
With rising tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, Islamabad’s military has stepped up its scrutiny of Afghan refugees. Daily harassments—searches, arrests of visa‑less migrants, and extortion in residential areas—leave people in a state of dread. An Afghan national remarked: “The situation is extremely distressing. I wish the official operations team would simply arrest and take people away. This method is not right; the police know no one will report them, so they come individually for searches. Several men in plain clothes lie in wait in the neighbourhood, grab someone, and take them away. It is unclear whether they are police, thieves, or cooperating with the police. Now, even if an ordinary person commits theft or kidnapping under the name of the police, people assume he is a police officer.”
He added, “These individuals detain migrants in their personal vehicles; some are released on the spot after paying money, while others are taken to police posts. They are probably police themselves or collaborating with the police. The level of theft and robbery is extremely high, and no institution hears the people’s voices. The situation is deeply painful; a country that has no defender and whose citizens have no protection or credibility anywhere in the world.”
Junaid shared a recent encounter with a plain‑clothes man: “He introduced himself as a police officer and asked for my visa. I asked: ‘Who are you?’ He said he was police. I asked him to show his card. He treated me violently and said that if I talked too much, I would be arrested. I tried to resist, but then two other men arrived and told me to get into the car. I had to pay 15,000 rupees for my release. Now we do not know who the police are. It is clear they have realized that migrants have no one behind them and are using this situation to fill their pockets.”
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