Afghanistan Times
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KABUL – Pakistan has launched a renewed drive to repatriate Afghan refugees, triggering thousands to rush to the border as officials urge Afghans in the southwest to leave immediately. On August 1, around 4,000 to 5,000 people were reported waiting at the Chaman border crossing to return to Afghanistan. This campaign follows Pakistan’s rescinding of hundreds of thousands of Afghan residence permits earlier this year, threatening arrests for those who remain.
Since 2023, over one million Afghans have been forced out of Pakistan, many having fled decades of conflict or arrived after the Taliban’s 2021 return to power. Pakistan labels many Afghans as “terrorists and criminals,” while analysts see the expulsions as pressure on the Taliban government to clamp down on militancy along the porous border.
The repatriation drive has significant local support amid Pakistan’s deepening security and economic challenges, especially in volatile border provinces. Meanwhile, Iran is conducting similar deportations, having returned over 1.5 million Afghans.
Afghanistan faces a severe humanitarian crisis under Taliban rule, with strict social restrictions exacerbating the plight of returning refugees.
