Many of the expelled migrants, including women who have returned to the country from Pakistan, describe their future in Afghanistan as uncertain and challenging.
Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, has expressed deep concern about the situation of women and girls returned from Pakistan, stating that these women are at risk of serious harm.
According to human rights organizations in Afghanistan, half of the individuals expelled from Pakistan are women, and addressing their needs is becoming increasingly challenging as winter approaches.
Nigar, one of the expelled women from Pakistan who has been relocated to a temporary camp in northern Kabul, says it has been six days since she returned with her family. She is worried about their future in Afghanistan. She adds, “I had heard that poverty and unemployment have increased in Afghanistan in the past two years, and now we have returned to the same country that has been experiencing these problems for years.”
Pakistan’s unprecedented decision to expel over a million undocumented Afghan migrants starting from November this year has led to more than 327,000 Afghan migrants returning to their country, according to OCHA, the coordinating office for humanitarian assistance.
Shirin Khanum, another woman who is a mother of 10 children, is concerned about finding food and shelter for her family. She is unhappy with the challenges of life in Afghanistan and says that starting a new life for them in the current conditions is a daunting task. She adds, “We have nowhere to stay, and paying rent is also a burden.”
These women remain concerned about their children’s education and request humanitarian organizations to provide educational opportunities for them.
It’s worth noting that the hasty expulsion of undocumented Afghan migrants by Pakistan has faced widespread criticism from international human rights organizations, which have described it as unjust.
