Pakistan officials revealed on Wednesday that over 140,000 undocumented immigrants, primarily Afghans, have exited the country hours before the deadline to leave or face expulsion.
Starting Thursday, Pakistan will initiate the process to identify and expel any of these immigrants following a deadline set in October to begin the expulsion of all undocumented immigrants, including hundreds of thousands of Afghans.
A senior official from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa region, which borders Afghanistan, stated that nearly 104,000 Afghans left via the main Torkham border crossing in the past two weeks.
Abdul Nasser Khan, the Deputy Commissioner of the region, mentioned, “Some of them have been living in Pakistan for over 30 years without any registration proof.”
An undisclosed number also exited through the Chaman border crossing in the southwestern province of Balochistan.
However, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry reported a higher number, indicating that 140,322 illegal residents have left the country.
In the Afghan capital, the Taliban administration has requested all countries hosting Afghan refugees to grant them more time to prepare for their return to their homeland.
In a social media post regarding Afghans in Pakistan and other places, it appealed to the nations, urging them not to forcibly deport Afghans without preparation, but instead, provide them with ample time.
