Afghan refugees repatriation begins UN expresses deep concern

ISLAMABAD: The deadline for the repatriation of undocumented Afghan refugees in Pakistan ended on March 31, 2025 and the government has now commenced their return.

According to sources in the Ministry of Interior, the process was delayed due to Eidul Fitr holidays, therefore, it could not begin on April 1. But authorities have now launched operations against undocumented Afghan nationals across the country.

According to data obtained by Geo News, there are currently 2.1 million registered and unregistered Afghan refugees in Pakistan. Sources in the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) state that 1.4 million Afghan refugees are legally registered, while 800,000 Afghan nationals hold an Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), but their stay is now considered illegal.

However, the government claims that the total number of Afghan refugees in Pakistan is three million, all of whom are set to be repatriated this year under the illegal foreign nationals deportation plan.

Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan for decades fall into four categories.The first category consists of Afghan citizens who fled to Pakistan due to instability in Afghanistan and were granted official refugee status. In 2007, Pakistan issued Proof of Registration (PoR) Cards to these refugees, who now number around 1.3 million. The government issued these cards only once, renewing them periodically, with the current validity expiring on June 30, 2025.

The second category includes Afghan nationals who were issued Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). Approximately 800,000 individuals received these cards in 2016, and they are now being repatriated as part of government deportation efforts.

The third category comprises Afghan nationals who fled to Pakistan after the Taliban takeover in 2021. These individuals were granted asylum under international protocols. While the Pakistani government initially claimed that 600,000 Afghans arrived after the US withdrawal, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) states that only 200,000 were officially registered.

The fourth category includes undocumented Afghan nationals who lack both PoR and ACC status and are not registered as asylum seekers from the 2021 influx. This category also includes those who have married in Pakistan and obtained fake national identity cards. Over the past two years, the National Database and Registration Authority (Nadra) has been cancelling such fraudulent IDs through its National Verification and Renewal Drive, now classifying these individuals as illegal residents.

The government has relocated Afghan refugees in already established 54 refugee camps across Pakistan to temporarily house documented as well as undocumented Afghan refugees. These include 43 camps in various districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 10 camps in Punjab and one camp in Balochistan. These camps were constituted with the help of UNICEF.These camps provide food, shelter, primary education, and healthcare, but human rights organisations have raised concerns about their condition.

The government s actions have caused widespread anxiety among Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades and now fear sudden deportation. The United Nations and human rights organisations have expressed concern over forced repatriations, urging Pakistan to respect international laws.Speaking to Geo News, UNHCR spokesperson Qaiser Khan Afridi warned that Afghanistan s deteriorating human rights situation puts returnees at serious risk.

The Taliban administration has welcomed the repatriation of Afghan refugees. However, experts warn that Afghanistan s economic crisis and security concerns pose major challenges to their reintegration.