See how one family packed up their entire life in Quetta, Pakistan, and crossed the border into Afghanistan, where they will live under Taliban rule.
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00:00 Pakistan's decision to expel millions of unregistered Afghans is one of the largest deportation
00:08 crackdowns in recent history.
00:11 Hundreds of thousands of people are trying to back up their lives and leave.
00:18 Even those who were born and raised in Pakistan, like Gulab Shah and his six children.
00:26 We followed them as they said goodbye to the only life they've ever known.
00:33 And crossed the border into a land ruled by the Taliban, where they fear for their future.
00:44 Like his son today, Gulab grew up playing cricket in Quetta, a city in western Pakistan.
00:54 He was born and raised here, and so were his children.
00:57 But because they're of Afghan descent, they're not citizens.
01:05 His family built this home from scratch over 20 years ago.
01:09 Gulab says the local government didn't even supply running water to his neighborhood of
01:30 Afghans.
01:31 They had to buy it on their own from a filtration plant nearby.
01:43 So when Gulab heard about the deportation order, he decided to leave on his own.
01:49 The local police had also started harassing him, even though he's a registered refugee.
01:55 They said, "If you leave, we'll deport you."
02:01 I was so angry that I left.
02:05 These bundles are filled with clothes for his six children.
02:10 Three of them are girls, and he's worried about their education.
02:15 The Taliban has banned girls from going to school past the sixth grade.
02:19 We want to send them to school, but they don't have a good education.
02:30 His son Hamidullah has packed up his cricket bat, bicycle and toy marbles.
02:35 I'm very happy that my children are going to school.
02:44 Gulab paid about $350 to rent the truck for the journey to the border.
02:52 He can only afford it because he and his brothers are pooling their cash.
02:56 Still, it took him months to save up.
03:00 He used to transport goods around Quetta on an auto rickshaw and would make up to $4 on
03:06 a busy day.
03:07 I'm not going to leave.
03:14 Pakistan is only allowing Afghans to leave with 50,000 rupees.
03:19 That's less than $200.
03:22 And many refugees say they've struggled to sell their properties and other valuables.
03:26 I'm forced to leave.
03:28 I don't want to stay here.
03:31 I don't want to leave.
03:43 It's only about 80 miles between Quetta and the Chaman border crossing.
03:48 But the roads are in bad shape.
03:52 Gulab doesn't want to lose anything, so they often stop to make sure everything is in place.
03:59 It's hard for the driver to navigate through the mountains because there are no street
04:12 lights.
04:18 Only his daughter is sleeping through the bumpy ride.
04:26 After six hours on the road, they make it to his friend's home.
04:39 He's glad they can warm up over a hot meal.
04:43 They'll spend the night here.
04:47 As he washes up for prayers, Gulab is reflecting on the life he's leaving behind.
04:53 People are saying that we're not their country.
05:08 This is the last time he'll pray in Pakistan.
05:16 At the crack of dawn, they set off for the border crossing.
05:20 They only have five miles left to go.
05:24 But they make one final stop.
05:29 Gulab will travel in this smaller truck so the family is together when they reach the
05:38 checkpoint.
05:41 We couldn't follow their journey all the way to Kandahar because of security restrictions.
05:46 We were afraid that we'd be forced to cross the border.
05:51 But we're here.
05:52 We're praying to God.
05:53 We're happy.
05:54 This isn't the first time that the people of Afghanistan have been forcibly displaced.
06:02 The Soviet Union sent thousands of troops into Afghanistan in December 1979 to seize
06:09 control of Kabul.
06:11 The war lasted nine years and forced more than a fifth of Afghanistan's population to
06:17 flee.
06:19 Most people, including Gulab's parents, moved to neighboring Pakistan in search of safety.
06:26 Years later, many moved back after a U.S.-led coalition invaded the country in 2001, promising
06:33 peace and stability.
06:35 But that didn't last long.
06:38 The Taliban took back control in 2021.
06:43 And a new generation of Afghans crossed over into Pakistan without any paperwork.
06:50 Today, Afghans are the second biggest refugee population in the world.
06:58 Nearly four million of them live in Pakistan.
07:06 The Pakistani government says the new deportation policy is necessary to stop the spread of
07:12 extremist groups within the country.
07:16 It blames militant factions inspired by the Taliban for a spike in terrorist attacks.
07:24 We reached out to the Pakistani government for comment, but didn't hear back.
07:33 On the other side of the border, this is what's waiting for refugees.
07:39 Every returning Afghan is required to spend 10 days at a camp before leaving for the homes
07:44 the government has promised them.
07:47 The U.N. Refugee Agency runs this camp near the Torkham border crossing, which has housed
07:53 some of the 450,000 Afghans who have returned home since November 1.
08:02 They include Abdullah Khan, who was born in Swat, Pakistan.
08:08 He was a registered refugee too, but still faced intimidation.
08:12 When I returned home, I was asked about my passport.
08:17 I was very worried.
08:18 I was in a lot of pain.
08:19 I was very worried.
08:20 I was worried about my children and my family.
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