Pakistan is enforcing one of the largest deportations in recent history, pushing out millions of Afghans

Business Insider

See how one family packed up their entire life in Quetta, Pakistan, and crossed the border into Afghanistan, where they will live under Taliban rule.

Transcript

00:00 Pakistan's decision to expel millions of unregistered Afghans is one of the largest deportation

00:08 crackdowns in recent history.

00:11 Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to back up their lives and leave.

00:18 Even those who were born and raised in Pakistan, like Gulab Shah and his six children.

00:26 We followed them as they said goodbye to the only life they've ever known.

00:33 And crossed the border into a land ruled by the Taliban, where they fear for their future.

00:44 Like his son today, Gulab grew up playing cricket in Quetta, a city in western Pakistan.

00:54 He was born and raised here, and so were his children.

00:57 But because they're of Afghan descent, they're not citizens.

01:05 His family built this home from scratch over 20 years ago.

01:09 Gulab says the local government didn't even supply running water to his neighborhood of

01:30 Afghans.

01:31 They had to buy it on their own from a filtration plant nearby.

01:43 So when Gulab heard about the deportation order, he decided to leave on his own.

01:49 The local police had also started harassing him, even though he's a registered refugee.

01:55 They said, "If you leave, we'll deport you."

02:01 I was so angry that I left.

02:05 These bundles are filled with clothes for his six children.

02:10 Three of them are girls, and he's worried about their education.

02:15 The Taliban has banned girls from going to school past the sixth grade.

02:19 We want to send them to school, but they don't have a good education.

02:30 His son Hamidullah has packed up his cricket bat, bicycle and toy marbles.

02:35 I'm very happy that my children are going to school.

02:44 Gulab paid about $350 to rent the truck for the journey to the border.

02:52 He can only afford it because he and his brothers are pooling their cash.

02:56 Still, it took him months to save up.

03:00 He used to transport goods around Quetta on an auto rickshaw and would make up to $4 on

03:06 a busy day.

03:07 I'm not going to leave.

03:14 Pakistan is only allowing Afghans to leave with 50,000 rupees.

03:19 That's less than $200.

03:22 And many refugees say they've struggled to sell their properties and other valuables.

03:26 I'm forced to leave.

03:28 I don't want to stay here.

03:31 I don't want to leave.

03:43 It's only about 80 miles between Quetta and the Chaman border crossing.

03:48 But the roads are in bad shape.

03:52 Gulab doesn't want to lose anything, so they often stop to make sure everything is in place.

03:59 It's hard for the driver to navigate through the mountains because there are no street

04:12 lights.

04:18 Only his daughter is sleeping through the bumpy ride.

04:26 After six hours on the road, they make it to his friend's home.

04:39 He's glad they can warm up over a hot meal.

04:43 They'll spend the night here.

04:47 As he washes up for prayers, Gulab is reflecting on the life he's leaving behind.

04:53 People are saying that we're not their country.

05:08 This is the last time he'll pray in Pakistan.

05:16 At the crack of dawn, they set off for the border crossing.

05:20 They only have five miles left to go.

05:24 But they make one final stop.

05:29 Gulab will travel in this smaller truck so the family is together when they reach the

05:38 checkpoint.

05:41 We couldn't follow their journey all the way to Kandahar because of security restrictions.

05:46 We were afraid that we'd be forced to cross the border.

05:51 But we're here.

05:52 We're praying to God.

05:53 We're happy.

05:54 This isn't the first time that the people of Afghanistan have been forcibly displaced.

06:02 The Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan in December 1979 to seize

06:09 control of Kabul.

06:11 The war lasted nine years and forced more than a fifth of Afghanistan's population to

06:17 flee.

06:19 Most people, including Gulab's parents, moved to neighboring Pakistan in search of safety.

06:26 Years later, many moved back after a U.S.-led coalition invaded the country in 2001, promising

06:33 peace and stability.

06:35 But that didn't last long.

06:38 The Taliban took back control in 2021.

06:43 And a new generation of Afghans crossed over into Pakistan without any paperwork.

06:50 Today, Afghans are the second biggest refugee population in the world.

06:58 Nearly four million of them live in Pakistan.

07:06 The Pakistani government says the new deportation policy is necessary to stop the spread of

07:12 extremist groups within the country.

07:16 It blames militant factions inspired by the Taliban for a spike in terrorist attacks.

07:24 We reached out to the Pakistani government for comment, but didn't hear back.

07:33 On the other side of the border, this is what's waiting for refugees.

07:39 Every returning Afghan is required to spend 10 days at a camp before leaving for the homes

07:44 the government has promised them.

07:47 The U.N. Refugee Agency runs this camp near the Torkham border crossing, which has housed

07:53 some of the 450,000 Afghans who have returned home since November 1.

08:02 They include Abdullah Khan, who was born in Swat, Pakistan.

08:08 He was a registered refugee too, but still faced intimidation.

08:12 When I returned home, I was asked about my passport.

08:17 I was very worried.

08:18 I was in a lot of pain.

08:19 I was very worried.

08:20 I was worried about my children and my family.

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