The process of repatriating Afghan refugees illegally residing in Pakistan will begin today while the voluntary yield deadline expired on March 31.
The government also asked for details on Afghan students in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa by March 27 to update the dashboard of the foreign national security cell, which follows foreign nationals of the country.
This policy to expel illegal immigrants is part of Pakistan’s wider security efforts in response to increasing terrorist attacks, which Islamabad attributes to groups operating from Afghan soil.
Until now, 878,972 Afghan refugees have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan, according to Radio Pakistan. However, the human rights group Amnesty International criticized Pakistan’s repatriation plan, describing it as “opaque” and expressing its concerns that the deadline of March 31 would aggravate the situation of refugees.
Pakistan is currently welcoming 2.1 million documented Afghan refugees, with many others living in the country without legal documentation. About 1.3 million of these refugees received evidence of recording cards, more than half of which residing in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
Repatriation affects a large number of Afghans who have lived in Pakistan for decades, including many born in the country that have never lived in Afghanistan. Peshawar welcomes the largest population of Afghan nationals, many of whom manage companies and work in the city.
In 2023, a deadline for unregistered foreigners led to the return of many Afghan nationals, and similar voluntary return camps have been set up for those who return now.
Earlier this month, the Taliban urged Pakistan and Iran to implement a process of structured and progressive repatriation for Afghan refugees, stressing the need to avoid forced deportations and to recognize the challenges facing the returnees in Afghanistan.
