Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Life in the shadows: Pakistani Christians fear arrest in Thailand

His family of seven share two small, squalid rooms in a cockroach-infested Bangkok apartment. But like many Pakistani Christians living illegally in Thailand, Farooz's sharpest worry is not poverty but arrest.

There is no safe return to the homeland they fled due to religious persecution, where Islamist invective surged higher last week after the release of Asia Bibi on blasphemy charges.


Christians make up less than two percent of Pakistan's Muslim-majority population, but are the sporadic targets of hardline Islamists.

Churches have been bombed while pernicious charges of blasphemy are easily pinned on the group, often to settle personal scores.

Mass protests against last week's pardon of Asia Bibi -- a Christian woman on death row since 2010 over allegations of insulting Islam -- have put conditions for the minority in Pakistan back under the spotlight.

It has also reminded those who fled, thousands of whom live in the shadows in Bangkok, what awaits if they return.

"We cannot go back, our country does not accept us, and no other country wants to take us ... so we are trapped here in Thailand," says Farooz, who gave an alias to avoid being identified by police.

Yet the minority are deprived refugee rights in Thailand, and appear increasingly unwelcome as a police crackdown takes place.

Aged 15, Farooz is erudite and multi-lingual -- he speaks Urdu, Punjabi, English and Thai.

But neither he nor his three younger siblings have gone to school for the last five years.

Instead, they are forced to pass the days inside -- unable to work legally and facing the thinly-disguised scorn of their Thai neighbours.

Thailand is not a signatory to UN conventions protecting refugees.

But it used to be a sanctuary of sorts, where relaxed visa rules allowed entry and officials could be enticed into turning a blind eye to overstayers.

Thai immigration police say they have detained dozens of the minority in recent weeks for overstaying visas or entering the country illegally.

Around 70 of those detained chose voluntary repatriation -- many more who were not arrested are believed to have followed.

"They have decided to return to a place where animosity towards them is at its peak rather than face indefinite detention in Bangkok," says Wilson Chowdhry, of the British Pakistani Christian Association, which helps refugees in Thailand.

"They will face persecution, some may be accused of blasphemy ... none have any money or property left as they sold it to get to Thailand," Chowdhry added.

Pakistani-Christians in Bangkok numbered around 7,400 two years ago, advocacy groups say.

Now around 3,000 remain, some registered with the UNHCR, the rest living underground.

Around 1,000 were resettled to "third countries" by the UNHCR or under private sponsorship schemes.

- Children of nowhere -

Farooz's family came to Thailand in 2013 from Gojra, in Pakistan's Punjab province, the site of a pogrom by Muslim hardliners in 2009 that resulted in seven Christians being burned to death.

His father says he witnessed the murder of the Christians and subsequently became a target of death threats and unsubstantiated legal claims aimed at silencing him.

The near-daily threats eventually prompted the family to leave.

But in Thailand they have found themselves in an administrative bind.

With their tourist visas long-expired, the family were detained by Thai authorities in an immigration sweep in 2015.

They were eventually released on bail on condition they report to the police every month.

That is despite the UNHCR recognising the family as refugees.

But bureacracy also dogs their resettlement case. The UNHCR says it needs further documents from Pakistani authorities to put the family on the official pending list for resettlement.

Yet the Pakistan Embassy in Bangkok says those documents can only be issued in the country they fled.

So Farooz and his family wait it out in Thailand, reliant on charity handouts, occasional menial work and each other.

Sobbing quietly, his mother says the impermanence has worn the family down.

"I worry for children.. what will happen to them without education? Where will they belong?" she says.

"I want to see my mother again, my family... my home. But they will kill us if we have to go back."

More For You

Labubu

Its appeal lies in its unpredictability, emotional expressiveness, and the thrill of collecting

Getty Images

Labubu’s unlikely rise from quirky Chinese toy to global phenomenon

A mischievous elf-like toy called Labubu has gone from niche collectable to global cultural phenomenon. Created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and popularised by Chinese toy giant Pop Mart, Labubu has captured the imaginations of collectors from Beijing to London and beyond, with celebrity endorsements and long queues at retail stores fuelling its rapid rise.

The birth of Labubu

Labubu originated as a character in The Monsters, a picture book series by Lung. With its signature wide eyes, pointed ears and toothy grin, the figure was designed to be kind-hearted yet chaotic, charming in a deliberately imperfect way. The name “Labubu” itself doesn’t mean anything; it was invented for the character.

Keep ReadingShow less
Record-breaking data breach

The data is spread across 30 different datasets

iStock

Record-breaking data breach exposes 16 billion credentials, raising global cybersecurity concerns

A massive new cybersecurity report has revealed what experts are calling the largest data breach in history, involving over 16 billion login credentials. The records, uncovered by researchers at Cybernews, appear to come from a variety of sources and have raised alarm bells across the tech and cybersecurity industries.

Unprecedented scale of exposure

The data is spread across 30 different datasets, with individual troves containing between tens of millions and more than 3.5 billion credentials each. In total, the exposed records add up to 16 billion, a staggering number that equates to more than two credentials for every person on Earth.

Keep ReadingShow less
Shubman Gill

Gill carved a niche for himself in the state’s cricketing history

Getty Images

Shubman Gill begins his Test captaincy as India face England in Leeds

Shubman Gill has become the first cricketer from Punjab to lead India in Test cricket, marking a historic milestone in his career. The 25-year-old was appointed as India’s Test captain on 24 May 2025 and officially led the team for the first time on 20 June in the opening match of the series against England at Headingley, Leeds.

Gill is the 37th player to captain India in the five-day format since the country’s debut in Test cricket in 1932. While players like Lala Amarnath, born in Kapurthala, Punjab, captained India in earlier years, he represented Southern Punjab in domestic cricket, a team based in what is now Pakistan. This makes Gill the first player from the Indian state of Punjab to take on the role in Test cricket.

Keep ReadingShow less
leaders discussed the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the UK and Bahrain,

The leaders discussed the new Defence Cooperation Accord between the UK and Bahrain, aimed at deepening joint military training and naval ties.

Crown Prince of Bahrain's website

UK and Bahrain strengthen defence and investment ties

PRIME MINISTER Keir Starmer met Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, prime minister of Bahrain, at Downing Street on Thursday.

A Downing Street spokesperson said the leaders discussed the UK-Bahrain relationship and welcomed the UK becoming a full member of the Comprehensive Security Integration and Prosperity Agreement (C-SIPA), a trilateral pact with Bahrain and the United States focused on regional security.

Keep ReadingShow less
Maa

Kajol hails Maa as her toughest physical challenge yet in exclusive Eastern Eye interview

Instagram/devgnfilms

Exclusive: Kajol credits Ajay Devgn for making 'Maa' a premium horror experience

In an exclusive interview with Eastern Eye, Kajol pulls back the curtain on her most daring role yet. Forget the dimples and that signature bindi for a moment. Kajol, the powerhouse we know for fiery roles and infectious energy, is stepping into chilling new territory. Her upcoming film, Maa, which hits screens on 27 June, isn’t built around cheap jump scares. It’s a raw look at the everyday fears that haunt parents, especially mothers. Chatting with her felt less like a fluff piece and more like an honest heart-to-heart.

- YouTubeyoutu.be

Keep ReadingShow less