Numerous Afghan migrant families in Islamabad, holding valid immigration documents, are voicing concerns over Pakistan’s refusal to extend their visas.
Kabul 24: Evicted from rented homes due to expired visas, these families have been forced to live in recreational parks for the past two weeks.
They are urgently appealing to the Pakistani government and international refugee organizations, particularly the UNHCR, to address their plight.Medina Rahmani, one of the affected migrants, describes their dire situation: “Without valid visas, landlords evicted us from our homes.
For fifteen days, we’ve been living in a park. Scorching days and rainy nights make it impossible to rest in makeshift tents, and our children are falling ill due to exposure.”Ziba, another Afghan migrant, shares a similar story: “Landlords refused to let us stay after our visas expired, and the Pakistani government won’t renew them.
We’ve ended up in a park in Islamabad, spending day and night here with no clear future.”Many migrants with valid Proof of Registration (PoR) cards or immigration files are frustrated by the slow processing of their cases by international organizations.
Shokria Zarmina Hosseini, an Afghan migrant, explains: “No one is paying attention to us. Our cases remain stalled. Every time we call, we’re told the situation is unfavorable. The police threaten to deport us, and we’re left clueless about what to do.
They only tell us to contact them if the police show up, but that solves nothing.”The Pakistani government has permitted Afghan PoR cardholders to stay until the end of August 2025, but this temporary measure offers little reassurance.
These migrants, living in parks without basic necessities like shelter, food, or healthcare, fear for their families’ future.
They urge global organizations to expedite their cases and provide a sustainable solution to their precarious situation, warning that without action, they face the risk of forced deportation or continued inhumane living conditions.
