Thousands of Afghans are moving to the country's borders to flee the Taliban regime
Following the complete withdrawal of US troops from Kabul airport, thousands of Afghans have moved to the border with Pakistan in an attempt to leave the country in an attempt to flee the Taliban regime. As a result, Torkham, one of the most important border crossings between the two countries, hosts hundreds of Afghans waiting to leave the country. Taliban fighters control the crossing, where the tricolour Afghan flag has already been replaced by the white Emirate flag. On the other side, Pakistani authorities decide who can cross the border and who must remain in Afghan territory.
"We are only allowing entry to Afghans with medical visas or those working for international organisations who are evacuated," a security source told EFE in Torkham. Islamabad keeps the border closed to Afghans fleeing the Taliban. "Not a single person has been granted refugee status so far," said Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad. Rashid Ahmad said the country "does not have the capacity to accept more refugees". There are already 1.4 million registered Afghans in Pakistan, while another million are estimated to be illegally present. In the last few hours some 1,000 have managed to enter Pakistani territory on visas allowed by the Pakistani authorities.
The Pakistani government's stance runs counter to EU plans, which expects Afghan refugees to stay in border countries. Brussels has pledged to "reinforce its support to third countries, in particular border and transit countries, which host large numbers of migrants and refugees". The EU is committed to helping these nations to "provide protection, safe and dignified reception conditions and sustainable livelihoods for refugees and their host communities".
In addition to the refugee problem, Islamabad must deal with growing instability and threats to its security. "The next two to three months are critical," a senior Pakistani official told Reuters. Among the government's fears is an increase in border attacks by terrorist groups such as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, an organisation linked to the Taliban movement. Two Pakistani soldiers were killed on Sunday in an attack by this group in Bajaur, one of the border regions.
The Pakistan Army condemned the "use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and hopes that the present and future installation in Afghanistan will not allow such activities against Pakistan". Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Muhaid told the inaugural press conference that they would not allow any group to use Afghan soil against anyone.
Another organisation that worries Pakistan, as well as the rest of the international community, is the Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K). Its latest attacks at Kabul airport, which left dozens of Afghan civilians and several US military personnel dead, were condemned by the Taliban as a "clear attack on Afghan territory".
In order to secure its national territory and control the flow of refugees, Pakistan could start cooperating with the Taliban regime in Kabul. "Whether we recognise the Taliban government or not, stability in Afghanistan is very important," he said.
Iran, like Pakistan, hosts a high number of Afghan nationals. There are an estimated 780,000 refugees on Iranian territory. This number, added to the 1.4 million registered in Pakistan, represents 84 per cent of the 2.6 million Afghan refugees worldwide. Since the conflict in Afghanistan escalated in early August, thousands of Afghans have begun to cross the border into Iran. In view of the potential humanitarian crisis, UNHCR urged the Iranian authorities to keep the Milak border crossing open.
Hazaras, a persecuted Shia minority in Afghanistan, were the first to cross the border into Iran. Over time, other Afghans began to leave the country. In response, Tehran has decided to set up temporary camps for the arriving Afghans. However, once conditions improve, these citizens will be repatriated.
The desired destination for many of these citizens is Turkey and Europe, where measures are already being developed to control the exodus of refugees. The Eurasian country, which hosts more than 3.6 million Syrian refugees, is strengthening its border with Iran. By the end of the year, Ankara hopes to add some 64 kilometres to a border fence built in 2017. "Our biggest hope is that there will not be a wave of migrants from Afghanistan," Mehmet Emin Bilmez, governor of Van province, admitted to Reuters. "We want to show the whole world that our borders are impassable," he added.
Greece has followed in its neighbour's footsteps, completing a 40-kilometre wall on its border with Turkey. "Our country will not be a gateway to Europe for illegal Afghan migrants," said migration minister Notis Mitarachi. On the other hand, Michalis Chrisochoidis, minister of citizen protection, assured that its borders "will remain secure and inviolable".
Other neighbours of Afghanistan, such as Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan, host a small number of refugees compared to Iran or Pakistan. Ex-Soviet countries, by contrast, have increased their security by moving military personnel to their borders.