ISLAMABAD, April 9: Pakistan has expelled more than 8,000 Afghan nationals in the past week in a renewed repatriation drive following the expiry of a March 31 deadline, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The mass deportation is part of Pakistan’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan,” a campaign launched in late 2023.
The Pakistani government had warned all Afghan nationals without legal documents or holding Afghan Citizen Cards to return voluntarily or face forced deportation. Temporary centers have been established across various cities to house the individuals before transporting them to the Torkham border crossing in northwest Pakistan.
As per the UNHCR, at least 8,906 Afghan nationals have been deported since April 1. Islamabad maintains that the move is necessary due to security concerns and alleged involvement of Afghan citizens in militant attacks and other crimes — a claim that Kabul strongly refutes.
In a statement on Tuesday, Abdul Motalib Haqqani, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Ministry of Migration and Repatriation, condemned the actions as forced deportations. “There is no doubt that the forced deportation of Afghan migrants and this unilateral action is against all international, Islamic, and neighbourly principles,” Haqqani said. He emphasized the need for a “mutually agreed mechanism” between the two nations to ensure the dignified return of Afghan nationals.
Pakistan aims to ramp up the repatriation process for the estimated four million Afghans who have crossed into the country over the past four decades, particularly following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Human rights organizations have expressed alarm over the drive. “Pakistan is abandoning its international commitment to not send people back to where their rights are at risk,” said Fereshta Abbasi from Afghanistan Human Rights Watch. She urged host countries to continue recognizing Afghanistan as unsafe for return, citing ongoing instability and human rights concerns under the Taliban regime.
