Pakistani Police Raid Homes Of Afghan Refugees, Arrest Women & Children

Afghan refugees in Islamabad told Afghanistan International on Saturday that Pakistani police raided their homes and arrested a group of migrants, including women and children. The arrests have raked in criticism from human rights activists.

Afghan refugees and human rights activists have particularly criticised the United Nations and foreign embassies in Pakistan for failing to prevent the "anti-human rights actions" of the country's police.

"We did not come to Islamabad for fun and entertainment, we have taken refuge here to save our lives," Ahmad (pseudonym), an Afghan refugee, told Afghanistan International.

"Around the world, women and children are given a lot of attention, but we don't know why Afghans are being treated so inhumanely today," said Sarah, an Afghan woman refugee.

According to sources, most of the recently detained migrants are those whose visas have expired and they have been applying for new visas.

Although they are given documents to legally pursue visas after applying for new visas, police have refused to accept their documents and have imprisoned or deported many of them after being forcibly detained.

The recent arrests have raised concerns among asylum seekers who have submitted asylum applications to the US and other Western embassies awaiting admissions.

The refugees have called on the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Western countries to put pressure on the Pakistani government to release detainees and stop the process of detaining Afghan refugees.