Pakistan has decided to extend the deadline for undocumented Afghans waiting to move to another country for resettlement. These Afghans will now be allowed to stay in Pakistan for an additional two months, until February 29.

This extension comes as part of Pakistan's effort to expel over a million foreigners living in the country without proper paperwork. The United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) reported that more than 450,000 individuals have returned to Afghanistan since Pakistan began its deportation campaign in early October. Although the Pakistani government claims that 90% of these returns were "voluntary," the UNHCR states that fear of arrest was a primary reason for their decision to leave.

Murtaza Solangi, the interim information minister, announced the extension and stated that anyone overstaying this new deadline would face a monthly fine of $100, with a maximum penalty capped at $800. Solangi emphasized that these measures aimed to encourage illegal Afghan residents in Pakistan to obtain legal documents or finalize agreements for relocation to a third country as soon as possible.

The announcement followed discussions between Pakistani officials and representatives from the US State Department regarding the issue of Afghan refugees. It's estimated that approximately 25,000 Afghans require paperwork for resettlement in the United States.

Pakistan has a substantial population of more than 1.7 million Afghan nationals who have been living in the country without proper documentation, with many arriving in waves since the Soviet invasion in 1979. The most recent major influx, estimated between 600,000 to 800,000 people, occurred two years ago after the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.

The Pakistani authorities have pointed to a significant increase in violence this year, citing over 600 attacks in the first 11 months of 2023, as the reason for the deportation campaign. Interim Interior Minister Sarfraz Bugti mentioned in October that out of 24 suicide attacks during that period, 14 were carried out by Afghan nationals. However, he did not provide evidence to support this claim.

The Taliban has denied allegations of harboring fighters and maintains its stance that Afghanistan's territory is not being used for violence across borders.

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