Pakistan Sticks to March 31 Deadline for Expulsion of Illegal Afghans

Islamabad – The government of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has confirmed that it will not extend the March 31 deadline for the expulsion of illegal Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan. A meeting at the Interior Ministry revealed that the government is committed to strictly enforcing the deadline, dismissing any requests for an extension, including one from the Afghan government.

As part of its broader security strategy amid rising terrorist attacks, Pakistan has intensified efforts to expel illegal immigrants, particularly Afghan nationals. The move follows concerns over terrorist groups operating from Afghan soil, which Islamabad has consistently blamed for attacks within the country. So far, nearly 879,000 Afghan nationals have returned to Afghanistan under the government’s repatriation program.

In addition to expelling illegal immigrants, the Pakistani government has requested data on Afghan students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa by March 27 to update the Foreign National Security Cell’s dashboard, which monitors foreign nationals in the country.

Despite the government’s stance, human rights organization Amnesty International has called for the withdrawal of the “opaque” Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, warning that the March 31 deadline will worsen the already dire situation for Afghan nationals.

Pakistan has been hosting Afghan nationals for decades, with around 2.1 million documented Afghan refugees living in the country, and hundreds of thousands of undocumented Afghans also residing here. A significant portion of the refugees, over 1.3 million, have obtained Proof of Registration cards, with more than half of them residing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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The deadline also affects those holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), many of whom have spent their entire lives in Pakistan. As the deadline approaches, many of these individuals, including those born in Pakistan, are facing uncertainty and concern.

Peshawar, a city with the highest number of Afghan nationals, continues to host large communities of Afghan refugees who have been living, working, and running businesses in the region for decades. In 2023, the government had already enforced a deadline for undocumented Afghans, which resulted in many voluntarily returning to Afghanistan.

Special camps have been established in districts such as Chamkani and Nowshera for those returning to Afghanistan. However, the approaching March 31 deadline leaves many in a state of apprehension as the situation continues to evolve.