Pakistan has set a deadline for undocumented immigrants residing in the country to leave voluntarily by November 1. Failure to do so will result in arrests and deportations, posing a risk of persecution in their home countries and sparking concerns of an impending humanitarian crisis. This situation particularly impacts Afghans who fled the violent Taliban takeover in August 2021, leaving them in a precarious position.

Pakistan's decision to initiate this crackdown on Afghan migrants is primarily driven by security concerns and the belief that some Afghan nationals have been involved in criminal activities and attacks within Pakistan. Pakistan's caretaker interior minister, Sarfraz Bugti, cited instances of Afghan nationals being behind suicide bombings, smuggling, and other crimes on Pakistani soil. He mentioned that there had been 24 suicide bomb attacks in Pakistan since the beginning of the year, with 14 of them attributed to Afghan nationals.

This connection between Afghan migrants and security threats within Pakistan has raised concerns among Pakistani authorities, prompting the deportation measures. The government has also accused militant groups operating in Afghanistan of training fighters and launching attacks across the border in Pakistan.

The decision to deport these Afghan migrants has sparked international criticism, with Western embassies and the United Nations urging Pakistan to identify and protect Afghans at risk of persecution in their home country. Amnesty International, a human rights organization, has strongly called for Pakistan to reverse its decision, citing international legal obligations, including the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits the deportation of individuals to places where they may face persecution.

The situation underscores the complex and challenging issues surrounding the treatment of Afghan migrants, especially in the context of heightened security concerns in the region. It remains to be seen how the Pakistani government will proceed and how the international community will respond to this unfolding crisis.

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