Afghanistan Times
Related Articles
KABUL — Pakistan has resumed the forced expulsion of over a million Afghan refugees after the government refused to extend the legal deadline for their stay, triggering strong condemnation from the United Nations refugee agency. The move affects approximately 1.4 million Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, whose status expired at the end of June. Many had pleaded for a one-year reprieve to settle property and business matters before returning to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.
In addition, police across Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh provinces are also detaining tens of thousands of Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards, citing their presence as illegal. According to a July 31 government order, all Afghans lacking valid passports and Pakistani visas must leave the country. Pakistani authorities say deportations are being carried out “in a dignified way,” but human rights groups warn the crackdown—marked by house raids and random checks—amounts to forced repatriation.
The UNHCR says at least 1.2 million Afghans have already been deported or forced to return from Pakistan and Iran this year. Qaiser Khan Afridi, UNHCR spokesperson, warned that Pakistan’s actions “could amount to refoulement” and violate international obligations, urging Islamabad to halt the expulsions and ensure “a humane and voluntary” process instead.
For many Afghans born and raised in Pakistan, the decision has upended their lives overnight. “I was born here, my children were born here, and now we’re being sent back,” said Rehmat Ullah, a 35-year-old refugee in Peshawar. His biggest fear is his children losing access to education and stability.
With Afghanistan already reeling from a humanitarian and economic collapse, the mass deportation risks deepening regional instability. Despite hosting millions of Afghans for over four decades, Pakistan’s abrupt crackdown has raised fears that political pressures and shifting regional dynamics are now dictating refugee policy. The country’s Interior Ministry has yet to comment on the latest operation.
