Pakistan has begun the second phase of a contested campaign to expel undocumented Afghan refugees. Some 800,000 Afghans are expected to be forcibly returned; another half-million Afghans were expelled from Pakistan last November after authorities raided their homes and makeshift shelters. Many fear having to live under Taliban rule and say they have nothing to go back to in Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Taliban representatives have arrived in Qatar to participate in U.N.-led talks, alongside delegations from over two dozen countries, aimed at reintegrating Afghanistan into the international community. It’s the first time the Taliban will be present at such meetings. No country has officially recognized the Taliban’s rule, and the U.N. has said it won’t do so until Afghanistan lifts bans on female education and employment.