Pakistan Expels Afghan Nationals Amidst Intensified Crackdown

Since April 1, Pakistan has deported 944 Afghan families, totaling 6,700 individuals, as the deadline for voluntary return expired. The process, targeting Afghan Citizen Card holders, included processing at the Landi Kotal camp. A police crackdown continues against Afghans without proper residence documentation.

Pakistan has initiated a significant deportation campaign, expelling 944 Afghan families or 6,700 individuals since April 1, as a governmental deadline for their voluntary return expired last week.

Kicking off the second phase of this operation, the action follows a March 31 deadline, aimed at deporting holders of expired Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). According to the Express Tribune, those deported include 2,874 men, 1,755 women, and 2,071 children. They were initially processed at the Landi Kotal transit camp before deportation via the Torkham border.

In the first phase, which began in September 2023, 70,494 Afghan families, totaling 469,159 individuals, were returned through Torkham alone, with over 800,000 Afghans deported through various border points. Meanwhile, the authorities are conducting a nationwide police crackdown on Afghan nationals lacking Proof of Residence (PoR) or holding expired ACCs. Afghanistan refugees first arrived in Pakistan during the 1980s, and estimates indicate there are currently about 2.5 million Afghans in the country.