More than 200,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since April as Islamabad ramped up its deportation efforts under the ongoing repatriation campaign targeting undocumented foreigners. According to the Ministry of Interior, over 135,000 Afghans left in April alone, followed by 67,000 in May, and more than 3,000 in the first two days of June.
Pakistan launched its Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program in November 2023, which has already seen over 800,000 Afghans sent back in its first phase. The government has now expanded the scope to include holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), instructing them to voluntarily leave by March 31, 2025, or face deportation starting April 1.
Also Read: CM Gandapur Opposes Forced Expulsion of Afghan Immigrants from Pakistan
Interior Ministry officials stressed that the repatriation will be carried out with dignity and without maltreatment. They also assured arrangements for food and healthcare at border points for returnees.
Meanwhile, the UN’s International Organization for Migration expressed concern over a spike in Afghan deportations from neighboring Iran, warning that Afghanistan’s fragile infrastructure is under pressure from simultaneous influxes at both borders.
