Key Points
- Thousands of Afghan refugees are facing deportation from Pakistan.
- Some have penned an open letter to the UN and the Australian government calling for resolution of their applications for visas.
- Jahan* says he and others would face torture and death if they returned to Afghanistan.
Afghan refugees in Pakistan say they're eagerly awaiting news of their Australian protection visa applications, amid fears that police will "knock on their doors" at any moment.
Afghan human rights activist Jahan* fled to Pakistan after he was struck with a baton by a Taliban official while filming a women’s rights protest before going into hiding.
His visa to remain in Pakistan is set to expire later this month and he tells SBS Dari that his numerous attempts to extend his stay have been rejected.
He says what waits for him and people in his line of work on the other side of the border in Afghanistan is either “death or torture”.
The refugees say the lack of clear communication by the Australian government regarding their application processes has left them in a state of "confusion and distress". Credit: Supplied
Authorities in the country began round-ups hours before the deadline.
Thousands of Afghans left Pakistan before the deadline with more than a million more facing arrest and forcible expulsion back to their war-ravaged country.
“It is clear that freedom of speech is under question in Afghanistan at the moment, you cannot advocate for human rights, and girls cannot study above sixth grade," Jahan told SBS Pashto.
Those who work in [human rights], cannot return to Afghanistan because they will either face death or torture by the Taliban.Jahan
Jahan said he applied for Australia’s protection in early 2022 and after receiving an acknowledgment letter, hadn't heard from the Department of Home Affairs.
“Personally, I’m waiting for my humanitarian visa application to be processed and I’m in a countdown for that,” he said.
“I have been waiting for 12 or 13 months and I have made contact many times because of my problems, because of the security problems that I have here.
"I do not feel good, I have no place to live or stay, I cannot afford it, I have emailed many times, but there’s been no result.
“Except for the file number that I have received, there is no other update, and every time I contact or email, no one answers us.”
Open letter to the UN, Australian government
Jahan is among a group of Afghan refugees who have written an open letter to the United Nations and the Australian government, expressing “deep concern” about being detained and deported.
A group of Afghan refugees in Pakistan has written an open letter to the UN and the Australian government. Credit: Supplied
“Our children cannot go to schools, universities, and any academic places, and here, we are deprived of all basic rights.
We respectfully and desperately request you to please do something to save us from this black hole, where we start life every day with new stress and problems.Afghan refugees' open letter
Jahan said the prospect of living in constant fear of getting arrested and sent back to Afghanistan was terrifying.
“We’re even afraid of the door knocks and this situation has had a devastating impact on us,” he said.
Abedin Ahmadi is another Afghan refugee who recently fled the country before applying for an Australian Refugee and Humanitarian Visa through the Community Support Program (CSP).
He said getting arrested by the Pakistani authorities was something that he and others lived with every day.
Abedin Ahmadi says forced deportation back to Afghanistan could irrevocably harm some of the refugees. Credit: Abedin Ahmadi
“Most of the Afghans who are at risk of forced deportation somehow see their lives in danger in Afghanistan and that’s why they’ve left the country.
“Among them are journalists, women’s rights and human rights activists, and other people who are in fear of an unknown future in Afghanistan that may cause them irrevocable harm.”
Police arrest alleged undocumented immigrants after the Pakistani government's deadline for their voluntary departure passes in Karachi, Pakistan, on 1 November 2023. Source: EPA / SHAHZAIB AKBER/EPA/AAP Image
Australian government 'hopeful' of an agreement
The Department of Home Affairs said it had “limited” ability to intervene in Pakistan's new exit permit process but remained hopeful that it could make an agreement with Pakistani authorities.
“The Department of Home Affairs is limited in its ability to intervene in the exit permit process,” a spokesperson said.
“However, we continue to work closely with the Government of Pakistan, and engage with NGOs, including UNHCR and IOM, to raise issues impacting the departure of refugees, including Afghan refugees with Australian visas.”
“We remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached that will allow all people with an Australian visa the ability to depart.”
SBS Dari understands that the Australian government has shared details of people who have recently been granted an Australian visa with the Pakistani government in an attempt to “temporarily protect” them from deportation.
Currently, there are over 30,000 applications for a humanitarian visa on-hand for Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan.
As of 30 September 2023, there were 1,072 family visa stream applications for Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan.
It’s not clear how many people are included in those applications or how many of them live in Pakistan without a legal status.
*Names changed due to safety concerns
