Pakistan has begun large-scale detentions and deportations of Afghan migrants following the expiration of their residency permits, with more than 1.4 million people at risk of expulsion. The move has already triggered chaos at border crossings such as Torkham, where thousands of Afghans are attempting to return home.
According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, security forces have been instructed to identify, detain, and deport undocumented Afghan nationals. Officials have demanded daily progress reports from provincial law enforcement agencies. In Rawalpindi and other cities, police confirmed that search operations are underway and that several Afghans have already been taken into custody.
The deportations primarily target Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, which officially expired on Monday. Authorities say the campaign also extends to roughly 800,000 Afghans with Afghan Citizenship Cards, who are considered to be residing illegally.
International humanitarian organizations have repeatedly urged Islamabad to suspend its deportation drive, warning of severe humanitarian fallout. Despite these appeals, Pakistani authorities insist that the policy is necessary to address security and economic pressures.
The decision has created bottlenecks at major crossing points, with reports of overcrowding and long waits at the Torkham border, where families with children and elderly relatives are struggling to cross into Afghanistan.
Aid groups caution that sudden mass returns could push vulnerable families into deeper poverty, disrupt access to health care and education, and expose returnees to exploitation and insecurity in Afghanistan—where the humanitarian situation remains dire.
Diplomats and rights organizations have called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to seek cooperative solutions and to ensure deportations are carried out in line with international humanitarian and human rights law.
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