ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — More than 33,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan through the Torkham border crossing in the past two weeks, Pakistani media reported on Monday, as authorities continue an intensified crackdown on immigrants.
Citing official sources, the Express Tribune said that between April 1 and April 14, at least 33,258 Afghan nationals were either forcibly deported or voluntarily returned via Torkham, the key border point between Pakistan and eastern Afghanistan.
On Sunday alone, April 13, some 2,758 migrants presented themselves at a registration camp in Landi Kotal before being expelled through the border, said the report.
A day earlier, on Saturday, Pakistani authorities reportedly deported more than 7,000 undocumented Afghan migrants.
The mass expulsions follow the expiration of a government deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. Pakistani officials have continued to detain and deport both undocumented Afghans and those holding Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACCs), despite international calls to delay or suspend the campaign.
According to the Express Tribune, an estimated 756 Afghans have been deported directly from districts in Punjab Province over the same two-week period. In addition, 59 Afghan detainees were removed from the Juma Khan Transit Camp in Peshawar and sent back across the border.
In mid-March, Pakistan rejected a formal request by Taliban authorities to extend the stay of Afghan refugees. Officials in Islamabad informed Taliban representatives that the deportation program would resume on April 1 and include those holding ACCs.
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has warned that the ongoing deportations pose a “serious risk” to Afghanistan’s already fragile society, which continues to face the consequences of prolonged conflict, natural disasters and economic distress.
The organization said the Pakistani government has begun demolishing informal settlements built by Afghan migrants, increasing fear and uncertainty among displaced communities. The removals have led to a sharp rise in the number of returnees entering Afghanistan in recent weeks.
An estimated 2.8 million Afghans currently live in Pakistan, according to the Red Cross. Of that number, approximately 1.4 million are believed to lack valid documentation to remain in the country.
