As Pakistan embarks on a new wave of deportations targeting Afghan nationals, Amnesty International steps forward with its poignant campaign, undothedeadline. Launching a touching collection of narratives titled “Treat us like human beings: Afghans in Pakistan at risk of unlawful deportation,” this initiative aims to voice the plight of those facing forced removal from a country they have called home for decades.
This campaign seeks to rally support for the Afghan population in Pakistan, advocating for their fundamental human rights amidst a backdrop of fear and uncertainty. The collection features ten powerful accounts from migrants, refugees, and asylum seekers, highlighting the lives of artists, journalists, and women, whose dreams stand in peril if deported back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Many of these individuals face not just threats to their safety, but the collapse of a life painstakingly built over years in Pakistan.
Babu Ram Pant, the Deputy Regional Director for South Asia at Amnesty International, articulates the gravity of the situation. “Afghan nationals including refugees and asylum seekers in Pakistan have been living in a state of fear since the Pakistani authorities announced their phased deportation plans in October 2023,” he states, underlining the potential devastation these policies may bring.
Particularly vulnerable are those who fled the Taliban’s reign following their takeover in 2021, including women, journalists, and various human rights defenders. Pant voices the urgent need for action, demanding that Pakistan reconsider its harsh stance on forced returns to protect these at-risk groups. Amnesty International has consistently urged the Pakistani government to revoke its decision to expel Afghan nationals and halt its ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’.
Amnesty International launches the #undothedeadline campaign to combat the wrongful deportation of Afghan nationals in Pakistan. The campaign features a collection of ten stories showcasing the dangers faced by refugees and asylum seekers. Babu Ram Pant stresses the fear instilled by Pakistan’s deportation plans, urging the government to protect vulnerable Afghans, especially women and journalists, and to revoke the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.
Amnesty International’s #undothedeadline campaign emerges as a crucial effort to safeguard Afghan nationals in Pakistan facing deportation. Through personal stories, it highlights the urgent need for humanity and respect for human rights, pressing the Pakistani authorities to halt these forced deportations. The call to action echoes the fundamental principles of protection for some of the most vulnerable, emphasizing that compassion must prevail over fear and injustice.
Original Source: www.amnesty.org
