MAJOR international aid agencies warned today of chaotic and desperate scenes among Afghans in Pakistan, where security forces are detaining and deporting allegedly undocumented or unregistered foreigners.

The national crackdown on illegal migration mostly affects Afghans because they are the majority of foreigners living in Pakistan, although the government says it is targeting everyone who is in the country illegally.

Three aid organisations, the Norwegian Refugee Council, Danish Refugee Council and the International Rescue Committee, said many people fleeing the Pakistani crackdown have arrived in Afghanistan in poor condition.

A joint statement from the agencies said: “The conditions in which they arrive in Afghanistan are dire, with many having endured arduous journeys spanning several days, exposed to the elements and often forced to part with their possessions in exchange for transport.”

Between 9,000 and 10,000 Afghans are crossing the border every day from Pakistan. Previously it was around 300 a day, according to agency teams on the ground.

The International Rescue Committee’s director in Afghanistan Salma Ben Aissa said returnees face a bleak future, especially if they lived in Pakistan for decades and have nowhere to go.

Taliban authorities have prepared temporary camps for Afghans in border areas.