200,000 Afghans
ISLAMABAD: Since the government of Pakistan launched a renewed deportation drive in April 2025, more than 200,000 Afghan nationals have left the country, according to figures released by the Ministry of Interior and reported by AFP.
The majority of these departures occurred in April, with over 135,000 Afghans returning to their homeland during that month alone. In May, the number of returnees dropped to 67,000, while more than 3,000 were sent back in just the first two days of June.
This wave of repatriation is part of a broader effort under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP), which was launched in November 2023.
In the first phase of the initiative, more than 800,000 undocumented Afghans were sent back to Afghanistan. According to estimates, approximately 3 million Afghans still reside in Pakistan, many of whom lack formal legal status.
The Ministry of Interior has issued a clear directive regarding Afghan nationals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). These cardholders were given until March 31, 2025, to voluntarily leave Pakistan. From April 1, 2025, deportations of ACC holders officially commenced.
The government stated that this timeline provided adequate opportunity for a “dignified return” and emphasized that no individuals would be subjected to mistreatment during the process. Authorities also pledged to provide basic amenities such as food and healthcare at deportation points and border crossings.
Millions of Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan over the past four decades, fleeing a series of conflicts including the Soviet invasion, civil wars, and the post-2001 war on terror. Following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, hundreds of thousands more crossed into Pakistan seeking safety.
While Pakistan has historically hosted large numbers of Afghan refugees, growing political, security, and economic pressures have contributed to a more rigid stance on undocumented migrants.
Meanwhile, the United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) has raised alarms over a parallel trend of rising deportations from Iran. In May 2025, over 15,600 Afghan nationals were recorded crossing into Afghanistan from Iran—a more than twofold increase compared to the previous month.
The IOM warned that simultaneous returns from both Iran and Pakistan could overwhelm Afghanistan’s fragile reception and reintegration systems, which are already under immense strain amid ongoing humanitarian and economic challenges.
With repatriation efforts intensifying and deadlines looming, Afghan nationals still residing in Pakistan—especially those without documentation—now face increasing uncertainty.
The Pakistani government has reiterated its position that all undocumented foreigners, including ACC holders, must leave voluntarily or face forced deportation. As the campaign enters its next phase, observers continue to monitor the implications for regional stability and humanitarian conditions within Afghanistan.
