More than 10 lakh undocumented Afghan people will return from Pakistan

About 13 lakh Afghan people can return to their native country from Pakistan. In fact, Pakistan has started a campaign to expel foreigners living illegally in the country, a few weeks after which the United Nations health agency gave this warning. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued this warning on Thursday amid the onset of winter and widespread criticism of the campaign by international and domestic human rights groups. A deadline was set for undocumented migrants living in Pakistan to leave the country or face arrest, after which the police started the process of door-to-door checking of migrants’ documents from November 1.

Pakistan says 1.4 million Afghans registered as refugees need not fear as their status has been extended till December. Officials said on Friday that due to this action in recent weeks, about 3 lakh 40 thousand Afghan people were forced to leave the country after living in Pakistan for years. Most Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades say they should have been given more time because they do not have homes in Afghanistan. Afghans say that they have no idea when they will be able to start their new lives afresh.

WHO said in a statement on Thursday that the sudden and large number of people returning, combined with other related factors, poses a risk of public health problems. WHO has expressed the danger of spread of diseases and polio virus in places where Afghan people are entering the country. WHO has appealed for assistance of 10 million dollars to provide health services for seven lakh Afghan people returning to the country.

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