Afghan Refugees in Pakistan, Evicted from Homes, Left Homeless in Parks

Afghan refugees evicted from their homes in Islamabad have gathered in a park near government offices, saying they have nowhere to go.

Pakistani authorities are pressuring landlords to evict even Afghan families with legal documents.Among them is Samia, a 26-year-old who gave birth three weeks ago. She told Reuters, “When I came here, my child was only seven days old.

Now it’s been 22 days, we have no food, my child is sick, but there’s no doctor.”The UN High Commissioner for Refugees reports that Pakistan has begun deporting Afghans with legal documents before the September 1 deadline, a move that could force over one million Afghans to return.

Currently, about 1.3 million Afghans hold refugee registration cards, and 750,000 others have Afghan identity cards in Pakistan.

Samia, along with around 200 other families, now lives on the ground in the park, where they cook, sleep, and dry clothes and dishes after rain. They pool their limited money to buy potatoes or zucchini.

Women use a nearby mosque’s restroom.Sahira Babar, 23, said, “If my child is born in these conditions, what will become of me and my child?” She added that police ordered their landlord to evict them because they are Afghan.When Reuters journalists visited, dozens of police were stationed near the park, monitoring the refugees.

The refugees said police repeatedly told them to leave the park or face arrest, though police denied allegations of harassment.Diwa Hotak, a former TV journalist in Kabul, said, “The UNHCR promised help, but they haven’t even come to see us.”Since 2023, Pakistan has intensified its deportation of Afghan refugees, now including those with legal documents or POR cards.