On Monday, Pakistan opened three new border crossings to expedite the expulsion of undocumented Afghan nationals. Pakistan’s recent policy shift will affect over 1 million Afghans residing in Pakistan.
- The Pakistani government constructed the additional border crossings after the main crossing was overwhelmed with Afghan nationals leaving the country. All three new crossings are located in the southwestern Balochistan province.
- When it announced the new policy in early October, the Pakistani government stated many Afghans living in Pakistan were involved in militant attacks and criminal activity. After the voluntary departure period expired on November 1, Islamabad began round-up operations across the country.
- The United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees stated over 280,000 Afghans have already left Pakistani territory. A large portion of this population now resides in makeshift tent villages along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. With winter approaching, Kabul requested that Islamabad provide Afghan nationals with a longer window to leave the country.
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