ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan has expelled more than 100,000 Afghan nationals over the past three weeks, as authorities intensify a second phase of deportations targeting undocumented migrants, the country’s Interior Ministry said on Tuesday.
The wave of removals follows Islamabad’s announcement of a large-scale crackdown on foreign nationals without legal status, a campaign that began in 2023 and has accelerated in recent months. The current phase, launched on March 31, primarily targets Afghans holding the Afghan Citizen Card, or ACC — a form of identification issued to Afghan refugees living in Pakistan.
According to the Interior Ministry, a total of 100,529 Afghan nationals left the country during April, either voluntarily or through forced deportations. The figures were reported by Agence France-Presse and echoed in statements by Pakistani officials.
Pakistani authorities have defended the mass deportations by citing national security concerns. Officials have accused Afghan nationals of involvement in attacks on Pakistani soil and have blamed the Taliban for allegedly allowing militants from Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, or T.T.P., to find sanctuary across the border — an accusation the Taliban leadership has denied.
Local media have described the effort as part of a broader policy shift by the Pakistani government aimed at removing all undocumented foreigners. Human rights organizations, however, have expressed concern over the deportations, warning of the humanitarian consequences for returnees in a country facing widespread poverty, insecurity and limited access to services.
