Pakistan Ramps Up Deportation Drive, Targets Undocumented Afghan Nationals

Islamabad – The federal government has intensified its deportation campaign against foreign nationals residing illegally in Pakistan, with a renewed focus on undocumented Afghan citizens, officials confirmed on Saturday.

In a statement, the Ministry of Interior reiterated that any individual living in Pakistan on an expired Proof of Registration (PoR) card is now deemed to be residing illegally. The ministry has ordered the enforcement of Section 14B of the Foreigners Act, specifically targeting Afghan nationals under legal proceedings or residing without valid documentation.

“The PoR cards expired on June 30. Anyone still present in the country under this documentation is in violation of Pakistani law,” said a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry. Authorities, including police, district administrations, jail officials, and immigration bodies, have received directives to arrest and deport such individuals.

The ongoing campaign is part of a broader crackdown launched in 2023 and revived in April 2025, when the government revoked temporary residence permits for hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees. Individuals failing to exit voluntarily were warned of potential arrest and deportation.

Fresh Orders in Balochistan

In Balochistan, local officials confirmed that the repatriation process is already in motion.

“We have received directives from the home department to initiate a fresh drive for Afghan repatriation,” said Mehar Ullah, a senior government official in Quetta. “The process will be carried out in a respectful and orderly manner.”

At the Chaman border, which connects Balochistan with Afghanistan’s Kandahar province, officials reported large crowds gathering. An estimated 4,000 to 5,000 people were seen waiting to cross back into Afghanistan on Friday.

Abdul Latif Hakimi, head of the refugee registration department in Kandahar, confirmed an uptick in returnees. “We are aware of an increase in the return of Afghans,” he told AFP.

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Over One Million Afghans Returned

Since the start of the crackdown in 2023, more than one million Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan, including 200,000 since April this year. The campaign largely targets over 800,000 Afghans who held temporary permits — many of whom were born in Pakistan or have lived here for decades.

Afghan migration to Pakistan has spanned over four decades, largely driven by conflict. Waves of refugees fled during the Soviet invasion, the civil war, and more recently, following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.

Security and Humanitarian Concerns

Islamabad insists the deportation campaign is necessary for national security and legal enforcement. Officials have repeatedly accused Afghan nationals of involvement in terror-related activities, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan. In 2024, Pakistan recorded its highest death toll from terrorist attacks in a decade.

However, the move has drawn criticism from human rights organizations, who argue that the mass deportations — particularly of long-term residents — raise serious humanitarian concerns. The government maintains that economic constraints and rising security threats have made firm action unavoidable.