THE United Nations warned Pakistani authorities on Saturday that forcibly deporting Afghan migrants could lead to severe human rights violations.

Pakistan recently announced a crackdown on migrants living in the country illegally, including 1.7 million Afghans, telling them to return to their home countries by October 31 to avoid mass arrest and expulsion.

Pakistani authorities say that the focus is on people who are in the country illegally.

Authorities are offering cash to anyone who tips them off about illegal immigrants and have asked clerics to tell worshippers in mosques of their duty to inform on “illegal Afghans.”

Landlords and real estate owners in the capital Islamabad have also received notices telling them to evict “illegal Afghans” by the end of the month or face action.

Police in southern Sindh province have already detained some 1,100 Afghan nationals, according to Inspector General Riffat Mukhtar. 

In Islamabad, police are using social media and TV tickers to create public awareness about the anti-migrant policy, said force spokesman Taqi Jawad. 

The UN said that Afghanistan is already going through a severe humanitarian crisis, particularly for women and girls, who are banned by the Taliban from education beyond sixth grade, most public spaces and many jobs.

“Such plans would have serious implications for all who have been forced to leave the country and may face serious protection risks upon return,” it said, referring to Pakistan’s crackdown.

The International Organisation for Migration and the UN refugee agency called on countries to “suspend forcible returns of Afghan nationals and ensure any possible returns to the country take place in a safe, dignified and voluntary manner.”

Pakistan has been a haven for Afghan refugees since millions fled Afghanistan during the 1979-1989 Soviet occupation, creating one of the world’s largest refugee populations. 

More Afghans have fled since then, including an estimated 100,000 since the Taliban seized control of the country in August 2021.