epatriation of Afghan citizens in Pakistan without valid documents has been under way since April. According to immigration officials stationed at Landi Kotal, in the Khyber district, 800 to 1,000 Afghan citizens have been through the Torkham border crossing everyday.

These people had been living in various regions, including the Punjab, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and the federal capital. Many arriving at the transit camp established in the Khyber district had either possessed no legal documentation or only Afghan Citizen Cards that have since been invalidated.

Official data released on Monday revealed that 30 people living in the Punjab were detained before they were sent to Torkham for deportation. Since April 1, no fewer than 72,916 undocumented Afghan citizens have been sent back to Afghanistan.

Amjad Khuwreen, a resident of Nangarhar province in eastern Afghanistan, spoke to The News on Sunday about the grim situation some of them face. “Afghan citizens are returning in large numbers to various provinces of Afghanistan. Many of these families had lived in Pakistan for several decades. Some had established small businesses and were part of local communities. Now, they are returning to Afghanistan to live extremely difficult lives,” he said.

Amjad said the financial reserves most of these families had built over the years in Pakistan had been depleted during the return journey. Expenses on rent, travel and logistical arrangements had exhausted their savings. “Now they find themselves unable to meet even basic needs such as food, medicine and housing,” he says. “Most of the returning people own no property in Afghanistan. Many are in such a vulnerable state that even paying for shelter has become a challenge.”

A large number of these families had previously worked for international and local non-government organisations in Afghanistan and had considerable incomes. Many had held white-collar jobs and were well-educated. Today, however, they find themselves unemployed, with few prospects of suitable work. Most are unwilling or unable to do manual labor, particularly in urban centres. The employment opportunities are scarce and the wages low.

“Many of the families returning from Pakistan are looking for ways to leave Afghanistan again,” Amjad said. “The situation in Afghanistan is not sustainable. There are no jobs and no functioning businesses for them to join, and no properties or homes to own. Many are trying to migrate to other countries in pursuit of better lives.”

A large number of these families had previously worked for international and local non-government organisations in Afghanistan and had considerable incomes. Many had held white-collar jobs and were well-educated. Today, however, they find themselves unemployed, with few prospects of suitable work.

Amjad added that many families that had once been financially independent are now forced to rely on aid. “Many people who had lived comfortably in Pakistan are now below the poverty line,” he says. “In some areas, the poverty is so extreme that we are witnessing a rise in mental health problems, including suicides, especially among women who are disproportionately affected by this instability.”

The Afghan government has set up facilitation centres in various provinces to assist the returning migrants. According to Afghan authorities, these centres are providing essential services such as medical treatment, food and water distribution, temporary rental assistance and basic communication packages, including free mobile minutes and internet package. These support systems are intended to ease the reintegration process for thousands of returning families.

Over the past month and a half, thousands of such Afghans have arrived in Kabul, Spin Boldak, Nimroz, Paktika, Gardez, Orgun, Helmand, Herat, Ghazni, Logar, Khost, Paktia, Baghlan, Takhar, Balkh, Jawzjan and Kunduz.

Early in March, the government of Pakistan had announced the cancellation of nearly 800,000 Afghan Citizen Cards and initiated the second phase of its deportation campaign. The action followed the earlier removal of around 800,000 undocumented Afghan refugees. These measures come amidst growing concerns about national security, as Pakistan has witnessed a resurgence in terrorist attacks in recent months.

Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for nearly five decades, offering shelter during several waves of conflict. Pakistan became home to over 4.4 million Afghan refugees between 1979 and 2001. While some have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan over the years, a significant population remains.

Ministry of States and Frontier Regions data indicates that there are approximately 2.9 million Afghan nationals in the country. These include about 1.4 million registered (Proof of Registration card holders), 810,000 newly documented individuals holding ACCs, and an estimated 700,000 unregistered migrants.

A central control room established by the Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has reported that 5.3 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan over the years, either through voluntary repatriation or deportation.

The future of these people remains uncertain. The Afghan government has struggled to accommodate the influx amid political instability, economic hardship and ongoing security challenges.

The writer is a multimedia producer. He tweets @daudpasaney