Pakistan to Repatriate 1.3 Million Afghan Refugees from September

Islamabad, Aug 6 (PTI) The government of Pakistan has decided to repatriate more than 1.3 million Afghan refugees who possess Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, starting from September 1, as reported by the media on Wednesday.

The initiative to deport Afghan refugees was launched in 2023 when the Pakistani government declared its intention to expel all illegal immigrants. To date, approximately 800,000 Afghan citizens have been sent back, based on government sources.

The Dawn newspaper disclosed that the federal government has communicated to the provincial administrations that the repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding PoR cards will officially begin on September 1.

This decision is in line with the Interior Ministry's announcement on July 31 stating that PoR cardholders—the last group of Afghans legally residing in Pakistan without visas—became unlawful residents following the expiration of their cards on June 30.

An August 4 letter from the Interior Ministry was dispatched to the chief secretaries and police chiefs in all four provinces, as well as Gilgit-Baltistan in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, outlining the enforcement of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP).

"It has been decided that the voluntary return of PoR cardholders shall commence forthwith, while the formal repatriation and deportation process will take effect from September 1, 2025," stated the letter.

Moreover, the ministry noted that the repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, will persist as per previous determinations under the IFRP.

Within the letter, authorities in PoK were directed to supply databases of PoR cardholders to provincial, divisional, and district committees.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will assist in deregistering returning Afghans at transit points and border terminals, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) facilitating repatriation at designated border crossings.

The ministry also instructed provincial governments and relevant bodies to conduct a comprehensive mapping of all PoR cardholders and formulate repatriation action plans, involving the establishment of designated transit areas for deportees, as well as making transportation and financial provisions.

Official sources informed Dawn that Pakistani authorities communicated to their Afghan counterparts in March that PoR cards would not receive extensions beyond June 30, 2025.

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of June 30, 2025, over 1.3 million Afghans resided in Pakistan. Among them, more than half (717,945) were located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while 326,584 lived in Balochistan, 195,188 in Punjab, 75,510 in Sindh, and 43,154 in Islamabad.

In 2004-05, the Pakistani government, with UNHCR's assistance, issued PoR cards to Afghan refugees, and in 2016, Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC) were introduced following amendments to the Foreigners Act 1946.

Meanwhile, the UNHCR expressed concerns over Pakistan's move to forcibly repatriate Afghan refugees holding PoR cards.

"Over the past days, UNHCR has received reports of arrests and detention of Afghans across the country, including PoR cardholders," it reported.

The UN agency acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan's hospitality in hosting refugees for over 40 years, despite facing its own challenges. However, it emphasized that the forced return of PoR cardholders, recognized as refugees for decades, contradicts Pakistan’s historically humanitarian stance towards this group and breaches the principle of non-refoulement, according to the Dawn.

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