KABUL — Nearly 45,000 Afghan nationals have returned from Pakistan since April 1, including more than 14,000 who were deported, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said the current rate of deportation—31 percent during the first 10 days of April—is significantly higher than in early November 2023, when Pakistan launched the first phase of its mass expulsion plan and the rate stood at 6 percent.
On March 7, Pakistani authorities publicly announced the resumption of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” (IFRP), extending it to include holders of Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC). These individuals were instructed to leave Pakistan by March 31 or face forced deportation beginning April 1.
Since then, the Pakistani government has intensified its crackdown on undocumented migrants, detaining and deporting thousands of Afghans. Several returnees have said they were mistreated by authorities, with some claiming their belongings—including gold—were confiscated by Pakistani police.
Amnesty International and other human rights organizations have condemned Pakistan’s actions, describing the mass deportations as “cruel” and calling on Islamabad to reverse the policy.
