800 Afghans detained in Islamabad amid visa uncertainty, political tensions

Afghanistan's embassy reports the detention of around 800 Afghans in Islamabad, including those registered with the UNHCR

Afghanistan's embassy in Pakistan said around 800 Afghans living in the capital have been detained by authorities, including some who are registered with the UN's refugee agency.

According to Afghanistan's embassy in Pakistan, officials have detained some 800 Afghans residing in the city.( Asif HASSAN / AFP)

It warned in a statement late on Monday that uncertainty around the visa process for Afghans in Pakistan has caused "troubling cases of arbitrary detention and deportation".

Islamabad has cracked down on undocumented Afghans as political tensions with Kabul have increased, forcing more than 780,000 Afghans back across the border since the end of 2023 -- including some who have lived in Pakistan for decades.

"The Embassy of Afghanistan expresses its deep concern over the recent detention of approximately 800 Afghan nationals in Islamabad," it said on social media platform X.

"This has caused the tragic separation of families, including women and children, many of whom remain stranded in Pakistan."

The statement said the number included 137 Afghans with pending visa extension requests or who are temporarily registered with the UNHCR, the UN's refugee agency.

The embassy was "alarmed by reports of unwarranted arrests, home searches, and extortion targeting Afghan nationals", it said.

Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has not responded to requests for comment.

More than 600,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021, including tens of thousands on the advice of Western nations with the promise of relocation.

Many are forced by embassies to wait for months in guest houses in Islamabad while their cases are processed and have reported a rise in harassment by police in recent weeks.

The Pakistan government said its deportation campaign is a bid to improve security after a rise in militancy in the border regions.

But Afghans say they are being targeted because of a political falling-out between Islamabad and Kabul.

"The Afghans in Pakistan awaiting immigration are going through so much pain," Umer Ijaz Gilani, a lawyer who represents Afghans, told AFP.

Millions of Afghans have fled into Pakistan to escape successive conflicts over decades, becoming deeply ingrained in Pakistani society.

According to the UNHCR, Pakistan currently hosts some 1.5 million Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers, alongside more than 1.5 million Afghans of different legal statuses.

Pakistan has given a series of short-term extensions to Afghans with registered refugee status, currently due to expire in June 2025.