The Pakistani authorities have confirmed the imposition of an $830 fee for undocumented refugees desiring to leave the country.
The exit fee is specifically for those who enter the country without a visa.
Pakistan announced in October that 1.7 million undocumented foreigners faced deportation if they failed to depart by November 1.
The majority are Afghans, with hundreds of thousands being individuals who fled Afghanistan when the Taliban regained control in 2021. The fee imposed on those with expired visas will be contingent upon the duration of their overstay.
Anyone returning to Afghanistan is exempt from the exit fee.
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Amnesty International and similar groups highlight that many Afghans who arrived in Pakistan following the fall of Kabul to the Taliban are experiencing delays in obtaining documentation.
Pakistan, not a signatory to the Refugee Convention, has explicitly stated that it does not acknowledge any Afghans within its borders as refugees.
A high-ranking diplomat in Pakistan expressed concern to the BBC, stating that the fee is especially troubling when applied to individuals being relocated on humanitarian grounds.
‘In many countries, if you overstay your visa you have to pay or you get booted out,’ they said.
‘The problem is charging those we are taking on humanitarian visas. Not necessarily the people we are taking because they worked for us, but who UNHCR sees as having a humanitarian need. It sets a very bad precedent.’
Early indications, as noted by the diplomat, imply a government review of the policy, a prospect they are supportive of. The prospect of a review was not broached by Pakistani authorities during their discussion with the BBC.