Impending harsh winter, lack of residential facilities hamper illegal Afghans’ repatriation

The ongoing harsh winter in Afghanistan has significantly impeded the repatriation of illegal Afghan nationals at the Torkham border since early September, according to official sources. The number of daily crossings has plummeted from 800-1,000 in April, May, and June to a mere 150-200 currently. Customs and immigration offices at Torkham have become nearly deserted due to the drastic decline in returning Afghan families over the past five to six weeks.

The customs authorities have even relaxed the stringent 100% manual examination of personal belongings for returning Afghans after receiving confidential information about the illicit export of items such as medicine, rice, motorcycles, and other goods concealed within household items. As per the legal procedures, every vehicle must undergo electronic scanning before being granted a gate pass, with additional manual inspections conducted following complaints of illegal exports.

Seized items are confiscated by the customs authorities and border forces, subsequently auctioned off to ordinary citizens or local traders. Some returning Afghan families have complained about the seizure of their valuable personal belongings during these customs examinations. Following numerous complaints from customs clearing agents tasked with managing the clearance of returning Afghan families' possessions, authorities have now opted to manually inspect only suspicious vehicles.

The ongoing illegal exports have seen a considerable reduction in recent weeks. Afghan refugees, upon their arrival from Pakistan, gather in makeshift camps near the border, lamenting their decision to return to Afghanistan in the face of the deteriorating socio-economic conditions and the impending winter. While a significant number of illegal Afghans have either been deported or returned voluntarily, the remaining families residing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces remain apprehensive about the current political and economic climate in Afghanistan.

Returned Afghan families and acquaintances have advised these families against returning to their war-torn country, citing the lack of suitable living arrangements, the scarcity of employment and business opportunities, and the rapidly approaching harsh winter season. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government's comparatively lenient stance has apparently lured some Afghan families to remain in the province, despite being "fleeced" by the police or personnel of other law-enforcement agencies.

A contrast to the bustling repatriation process in March, April, May, and June, the Hamza Baba Transit Centre in Landi Kotal, which was designed to accommodate the growing influx of returning Afghans, now appears deserted as the visitor numbers have dwindled. Food and drink kiosks established by locals near the centre have also been relocated to other areas.