ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — A senior official with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees said Sunday that Pakistan’s decision to expel hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees has deeply unsettled the community and urged the international community to take greater responsibility.
“Recent government announcements about departure deadlines have again shaken the Afghan community in Pakistan,” said Philippa Candler, UNHCR’s representative in the country. “Their hopes and dreams have been shattered.”
The Pakistani government announced earlier this month that Afghan nationals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) — a form of identification that does not confer refugee status — must leave the country by March 31. The deadline coincides with the Eid al-Fitr holiday and affects roughly 800,000 people, according to U.N. estimates.
In total, Pakistan is home to more than 2.8 million Afghans, many of whom fled decades of conflicts, political instability and economic collapse. Around 1.3 million are formally registered refugees with legal protections under international law.
The deportation plan is part of a crackdown launched in 2023 to repatriate foreign nationals, particularly undocumented Afghans, after a series of deadly attacks that Islamabad blamed on Afghan-based militants. Since the start of the campaign, more than 800,000 Afghans have been expelled.
Candler urged donor countries to continue humanitarian assistance and to accelerate third-country resettlement processes for Afghans who fled since the Taliban takeover in 2021. While thousands have been relocated, many more remain in legal and economic limbo in Pakistan, she said.
UNHCR is also calling for what it describes as “sustainable return” — ensuring that those sent back to Afghanistan are not exposed to persecution, discrimination, or insecurity. Many of those who were deported in 2023, Candler noted, have already returned to Pakistan due to the lack of viable conditions in their home country.
“A sustainable return means creating a peaceful and secure environment in Afghanistan,” she said. “For those who cannot return safely, efforts must be made in Pakistan to expand access to education, health care and employment — while ensuring legal recognition and protection under international refugee law.”
The agency has called for urgent international cooperation, warning that the burden should not fall solely on Islamabad. “This is a shared responsibility,” Candler said. “Humanitarian aid must continue — not just for short-term relief but to support long-term development.”
