Deported Afghan women from Pakistan face uncertainty, fear, and depression

Written By: Hakim Bigzaad

The United Nations Women’s Section, in a new report, has stated that the forced deportation of female migrants from Pakistan has exposed them to pressure and risks arising from the uncertain situation in Afghanistan.

In the report of the United Nations Women’s Section in Afghanistan, published on Wednesday, it is stated that among more than 428,000 forced returnees, 48% are women and girls.

Forced returnee women in interviews with the International Organization for Migration and the United Nations Women’s Section have said that they have temporarily joined their relatives but have no clue about long-term residence.

According to the report, most of the returning migrants have been relocated in Nangarhar and Kabul provinces, facing uncertainty about their future.

Uncertainty about the future and enduring difficult conditions on the verge of winter have caused mental health problems for returning women.

The report emphasizes that the husbands of some of these women have disappeared or been arrested upon return. The women have also said that their belongings have remained in Pakistan.

Another concern for women mentioned in this report is the lack of a suitable environment for the lives of returning women in Afghanistan, where, according to United Nations agencies, restrictions have led to gender-based harassment in the country.

The United Nations Women’s Section has identified the lack of identification documents as a serious challenge for returning women in receiving humanitarian aid.

The report states that the needs of both women and men deported from Pakistan are the same, but women, due to their gender, face multiple risks and an uncertain future.

It is noteworthy that the government of Pakistan ordered the deportation of more than one million undocumented Afghan migrants about two months ago, and so far, more than 428,000 people have returned to their country.

The Office of the Deputy Special Representative of the United Nations in Afghanistan, or ‘UNAMA,’ in a new report, has stated that the deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan will expose women’s rights activists to persecution. UNAMA has also expressed concern about returning women who face human rights violations in Afghanistan after their return.

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