THESE are fraught times, but the government must still find it in its heart to be a little more accommodating. Despite concerns, the Foreign Office has issued yet another warning for all Afghan Citizen Card holders and undocumented migrants to leave by the end of this month. The interior ministry has vowed to start mass deportations if they do not do so voluntarily, according to an official notice issued earlier, raising the prospect of another round of forced displacement for an already suffering people. The state’s ‘hard’ stance on foreigners residing in Pakistan without visas was evident in the FO spokesperson’s remarks on Thursday, in which he brusquely dismissed the concerns raised by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other agencies regarding the mass repatriation of refugees and asylum seekers. Reminding the audience that Pakistan is not a member of the Refugee Convention and that everything it has done for the refugees has been done “voluntarily”, he asserted that the Pakistani state considers Afghans to have overstayed their welcome. The state’s weariness and wariness is understandable, but it can still show patience.

There are many transit refugees currently in Pakistan who fled after the return of the Taliban regime and have been awaiting visas for various other countries. Instead of dangling the threat of deportation over their necks, Pakistan must approach the diplomatic representatives of these countries and impress upon them that their visa processes must be expedited. Many of these individuals and families could face real harm if sent back to Afghanistan, and there is a moral responsibility to ensure that they get passage to safer countries in time. Likewise, Islamabad should also reconsider how it is treating registered refugees. Many of them have now spent years or even decades in Pakistan, and it seems cruel to punish them for the Taliban regime’s failures. The goodwill Pakistan has accumulated over decades for its hospitality towards them should not be erased over a diplomatic issue. That leaves those who have consistently been evading the system while residing in this country. There is sound justification for asking such refugees to leave and return if they wish with a valid visa, but care should still be taken not to injure their dignity. After all these years, there is no reason to give them cause to view Pakistan with hostility.

Published in Dawn, March 22nd, 2025