Pakistan’s 2023 Crackdown Drives Mass Afghan Repatriation

Pak & Afghan—(Special Correspondent/Webdesk)— The Ministry of Interior has reaffirmed that individuals residing in Pakistan on expired Proof of Registration (PoR) cards are considered illegal. Authorities will now enforce Section 14B of the Foreigners Act to ensure the deportation of under-trial Afghan nationals.

The PoR cards expired on June 30, and the Interior Ministry has directed district administrations, police, jail officials, and other relevant departments to arrest and deport those remaining unlawfully.

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The move is part of a broader deportation campaign launched in 2023 and revived in April 2025, following the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of temporary Afghan residence permits.

In Balochistan, officials confirmed the renewed operation is underway. “We’ve received directives to repatriate Afghans in a respectful and orderly manner,” said Mehar Ullah, a senior official in Quetta.

At the Chaman border, 4,000 to 5,000 people were reportedly waiting to cross into Afghanistan. Kandahar’s refugee registration chief, Abdul Latif Hakimi, confirmed an uptick in returnees.

Since the crackdown began, over one million Afghans have returned—more than 200,000 since April 2025 alone. Most targeted were among the 800,000 Afghans living under temporary permits, many born or raised in Pakistan.

Pakistan maintains the drive is necessary for national security and legal enforcement, citing rising terror threats, especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.

Human rights groups, however, have expressed concern over the forced nature of returns. Last year, Pakistan recorded the highest number of terror-related deaths in a decade, with officials alleging Afghan involvement in some attacks.