<\/p>\n
After living in Pakistan for years, thousands of Afghans have gone into hiding to escape a government order to expel undocumented foreigners because they fear persecution under a Taliban administration in their homeland, rights activists say.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe gate is locked from the outside\u2026 we are locked inside, we can\u2019t come out, we can\u2019t turn on our lights, we can\u2019t even talk loudly,\u201d said a 23-year-old Afghan woman, speaking online from a shelter where she said dozens of others had holed up until earlier this week before moving on to a new hideout.<\/p>\n
Local supporters put a lock on the gate so neighbours believe the house is unoccupied, said other inmates.<\/p>\n
The woman, who is from Kabul, said she fears prosecution if she returns to Afghanistan because she converted from Islam to Christianity in 2019 and renunciation of the Islamic faith is a serious offence under the strict law practised by the Taliban.<\/p>\n
She is one of thousands believed by rights activists to be in hiding in Pakistan to avoid deportation under a government push for undocumented migrants to leave the country. That includes over one million Afghans, among whom the government says are those involved in militant attacks and crime.<\/p>\n