Pakistan Detains Afghan Medical Professionals Amid Visa Issues
Arrests of Afghan Doctors in Multan
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Kabul, July 15: Authorities in Multan, located in Pakistan's Punjab province, have detained 13 Afghan doctors along with a medical student, transporting them to a deportation facility. This action occurred despite the group claiming that their visa applications have been pending for almost a year, as reported by local media on Wednesday.
On Tuesday, the detained individuals stated that they were apprehended at a government hospital in Multan before being moved to a detention center in Attock, where they now face the threat of deportation. They mentioned that they had submitted applications for new visas or extensions nearly a year ago, but no decisions have been made by Pakistani authorities, according to Afghanistan-based news outlet Khaama Press.
Among the detainees, five had applied for entry visas, while the remaining doctors sought extensions for their current visas. They expressed that Pakistani police and security agencies had frequently reviewed their documents over the past year, yet their immigration cases remain unresolved.
The doctors expressed their fears of being sent back to Afghanistan before they could finish their medical training and specialization. They have appealed to both the Pakistani government and Afghan authorities for intervention, requesting to stay in Pakistan until they complete their education, as reported by Khaama Press.
This incident occurs amid Pakistan's ongoing crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals, particularly targeting Afghan individuals, with an increase in detention and deportation activities in recent months.
In a related development, 525 Afghan families were repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan as three refugee camps in Bannu district, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, were fully vacated.
Umar Khittab Khan, the Additional Deputy Commissioner, stated that the repatriation of Afghan refugees is being carried out in phases, following directives from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government, as reported by the Pakistani daily Dawn.
He noted that under this initiative, 525 Afghan families residing in the refugee camps at Bizan Khel, Ghoriwala, and Mamand Khel were sent back to Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing.
According to the ADC, authorities are now concentrating on Afghan nationals living in rented accommodations and private homes in Bannu and nearby areas. They are sharing records of Afghan nationals with local police stations to facilitate their swift repatriation.
On June 28, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior mandated the immediate arrest of any Afghan national found residing in the country without a valid visa starting July 10.
Pakistan has intensified its deportation efforts, initially launched in 2023, following the government's cancellation of numerous residence permits for Afghans and warnings of arrests for those who do not leave the country.