The United States has urged Afghanistan’s neighbors, including Pakistan, to allow entry of Afghans seeking protection and to meet their obligations in the treatment of refugees. The State Department spokesman made the statement on Thursday, emphasizing the need for coordination with international humanitarian organizations to provide assistance.
The development comes as Pakistan has set a November 1 deadline for all illegal immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans, to leave the country or face forced deportation. According to Islamabad, approximately 1.73 million Afghans in Pakistan do not have legal documents, and the country has alleged that Afghan nationals have carried out more than a dozen suicide bombings this year.
Pakistan has hosted the largest number of Afghan refugees since the Soviet invasion of Kabul in 1979, with estimates suggesting that there are around 4.4 million Afghan refugees in the country. Among them are approximately 20,000 Afghans who fled the 2021 Taliban takeover and are currently awaiting processing of their applications for special US immigration visas or for resettlement in the United States as refugees.
The US State Department spokesman stressed that allowing entry of Afghans seeking international protection and coordinating with humanitarian organizations is crucial. The statement comes amid deteriorating relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with allegations that Islamists fighting the Pakistani state are operating from Afghan territory, a claim denied by the Taliban.
A group of former US officials and resettlement organizations have urged Pakistan to exempt thousands of Afghan applicants for special US visas or refugee resettlement from deportation. The deportation process, according to Pakistan, will be orderly and phased, possibly starting with people with criminal records.
The situation remains fluid and the international community is closely monitoring developments as Afghanistan’s neighbors face the challenge of managing the refugee crisis and ensuring the protection and well-being of those seeking refuge.
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