ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has set up eight teams across Punjab to facilitate the repatriation of Afghan refugees, according to a statement from the agency’s spokesperson on Monday.
Out of the eight teams, five will focus on Lahore, while the remaining three will handle Sheikhupura, Nankana, and Kasur. The Lahore team will be led by Assistant Director Sajid Amin, while Imran Bhatti and Babar Shaharyar will oversee the teams in Sheikhupura and Nankana, respectively. For Kasur, the team will be headed by Assistant Director Immigration Rana Bilal.
The spokesperson added that Afghan nationals would initially be housed in shelters in Lahore before being repatriated to Afghanistan. Temporary shelters for refugees will be set up at key locations, including Thokar Niaz Baig, Railway Station, Data Darbar, Sabzi Mandi, and Lari Adda.
This initiative follows the federal government’s decision to expel Afghan refugees. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades, with over 2.1 million Afghan nationals still residing in the country, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) and other provinces.
The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (Safron) reports that 1.4 million Afghan refugees are legally registered, while 800,000 hold the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), which is no longer considered valid. The March 31 deadline set by the government for illegal Afghans and ACC cardholders to leave has passed amid rising security concerns linked to terrorism.
Since the deadline, 4,111 illegal aliens have been deported from Punjab, with 5,950 individuals detained in holding centers. As of now, 1,839 detainees remain. A total of 46 holding centers have been established across the province, five of them located in Lahore.
Punjab Inspector General Police (IGP), Usman Anwar, reiterated that all illegal immigrants will be sent back, emphasizing adherence to human rights standards during the repatriation process. He directed relevant officials to speed up the repatriation, ensuring proper mapping, scanning, and screening of detainees.
Categories of Afghan Refugees
The government has outlined four categories of Afghan refugees residing in Pakistan:
- Afghan citizens with official refugee status, numbering around 1.3 million, who were issued Proof of Registration (PoR) Cards in 2007. These cards, valid until June 30, 2025, grant them legal status.
- Afghan nationals with Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), approximately 800,000, who were issued these cards in 2016 and are now part of the deportation effort.
- Afghans who fled after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, granted asylum under international protocols. While Pakistan initially claimed 600,000 such individuals arrived, the UNHCR reports that only 200,000 were officially registered.
- Undocumented Afghans, who lack both PoR and ACC status, and are not part of the official asylum process. These individuals are also subject to deportation.
