INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Pakistan&s leading rights group on Tuesday warned of a &humanitarian crisis& as it expressed concern over the government&s decision to expel
undocumented foreigners, most of whom comprise Afghan nationals.&The decision amounts to forced repatriation, which is not recognised under
international customary law, and will invariably affect vulnerable refugees and asylum seekers, which include women, children, the elderly,
persons living with disabilities, persons from low-income groups, and Afghans at risk because of their professions,& the Human Rights
Commission of Pakistan said in a letter to UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi.The U.N
refugee agency UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Pakistan&s plans create &serious protection risks& for some
forced to leave.The chargé d&affaires of the Afghanistan&s permanent mission to the UN said: &We are deeply concerned about Pakistan&s
recent decision to deport unregistered Afghan refugees and said that we urge Pakistan to reconsider this action given the gravity of the
situation in Afghanistan.&UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett also urged Pakistan to &uphold the absolute and non-derogable principle of
non-refoulement and prevent collective expulsion and forced return& - cancel plans to deport 1.4 million Afghan nationals.&Pakistan is home
to over 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees, about 1.7 million of whom are undocumented, according to Islamabad. The post Pakistan&s
move to expel Afghan refugees may trigger ‘humanitarian crisis&, warns rights group first appeared on Ariana News.
