ISLAMABAD - The repatriation of Afghan nationals illegally residing in Pakistan is ongoing with a total of 675,190 Afghans having returned to their country to date.
From the 21st of the last month to the 3rd of this month, 15,537 Afghans have been repatriated, government officials said on Sunday.
The government initiated deportation drive last year following a surge in suicide bombings, which the Pakistan government has blamed on Afghan nationals.
Islamabad says that Afghans are involved in smuggling, militant activities, and other crimes.
Pakistan, struggling with severe economic challenges, record inflation, and a stringent International Monetary Fund bailout programme, argues that undocumented migrants have drained its resources for decades.
Before the expulsion drive started last year, Pakistan was home to over four million Afghan migrants and refugees, with approximately 1.7 million being undocumented, according to government figures.
Afghans constitute the largest group of migrants, with many arriving after the Taliban returned to power in 2021, though a significant number have been present since the 1979 Soviet invasion of Afghanistan.
Islamabad maintains that the deportation drive is not exclusively aimed at Afghans but targets all individuals living illegally in Pakistan.
In October 2023, Pakistan initiated phase one of the “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” giving a 30-day ultimatum for “undocumented” foreigners to leave the country or face deportation, putting 1.4 million Afghan refugees at risk.
In phase two of the “repatriation plan,” approximately 600,000 Afghans with Pakistan-issued Afghan citizenship cards (ACCs) were slated for expulsion, while phase three is expected to target those with UNHCR-issued Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
In April, the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) issued a notification extending the validity of PoR cards until June 30 of this year.
Prior to the deportation campaign, individuals routinely crossed the Pak-Afghan border for business and personal reasons.
