"The recent earthquake has affected more than 500,000 people in Afghanistan — aid from donors, including Pakistan, is vital and welcome. Especially given the circumstances, I appeal to the Pakistani government to pause the implementation of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan," Grandi said on X on Wednesday.
The issue of Afghan refugees and migrants in Pakistan has once again become aggravated amid the difficult relations between the two neighboring countries. Kabul has repeatedly accused Islamabad of forcibly deporting Afghan refugees and mistreating them. Pakistan, in turn, denies the allegations.
In mid-July, the Representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, said that 3 million migrants could return to Afghanistan in 2025, warning that the influx is exacerbating an already serious humanitarian crisis. According to the UNHCR, more than 1.6 million Afghans have already returned from Pakistan and Iran this year.