What's happened
Pakistan's expulsion of over 1.5 million Afghan refugees sparks tensions with Afghanistan
Why it matters
The forced expulsion of a large number of Afghan refugees and migrants from Pakistan has sparked tensions with Afghanistan and drawn widespread criticism from international organizations, raising concerns about the humanitarian crisis and the ability of Afghanistan to support or integrate those leaving Pakistan.
What the papers say
Al Jazeera reports that Pakistan's decision to expel the refugees has triggered tensions with the Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, while The Independent highlights the appeal by the Taliban to Afghanistan's private sector to help those fleeing Pakistan's mass deportation drive. The UN refugee agency, the International Organisation for Migration, and the UN Children's Fund expressed concern for the safety of children and families affected by the expulsion, as reported by South China Morning Post.
How we got here
Pakistan's decision to expel over 1.5 million allegedly undocumented Afghan refugees and migrants has led to a panicked exodus and condemnation from human rights groups. The Taliban-led administration in Afghanistan has expressed reservations about the expulsion, and the UN agencies have raised concerns about the unfolding humanitarian crisis with winter approaching.
More on these topics
-
Pakistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country with a population exceeding 212.2 million. It is the 33rd-largest country by area, spanning 881,913 square kilometres.
-
Afghans or Afghan people are nationals or citizens of Afghanistan, or people with ancestry from there. Concurrently the term "Afghan" can refer to someone or something of that country.
-
Afghanistan, officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country at the crossroads of Central and South Asia.
-
The Taliban or Taleban, who refer to themselves as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, are a Sunni Islamic fundamentalist political movement and military organization in Afghanistan currently waging war within that country.