Hundreds of Afghan migrants have been released from a jail in the southern Pakistani port city of Karachi, Afghan authorities said on January 7. The 524 released Afghan nationals include 54 women and 97 children, according to the Afghan Embassy in Islamabad. Pakistani police last month detained at least 1,200 Afghan nationals who entered Karachi without valid travel documents. The arrests brought criticism after images of locked-up Afghan children circulated online. Pakistan has been urging Afghans in the country to register with the United Nations and local authorities to avoid any risk of deportation.
Pakistan Frees 524 Afghan Migrants From Karachi Jail
An Afghan migrant family walks in a parking lot before leaving the country in the southwestern province of Nimroz in February.