ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — Pakistan’s interior minister, Mohsin Naqvi, told the National Assembly Wednesday that more than one million Afghan nationals have been expelled from the country since November 2023, marking one of the largest forced migration waves in the region’s recent history.
According to Pakistani media reports, Naqvi said a total of 1,002,230 undocumented Afghan migrants have been deported over the past six months. He also noted that more than 1.37 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards had returned to Afghanistan under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) program since 2007.
Pakistan, long home to one of the world’s largest populations of Afghan refugees, has ramped up expulsions in recent months amid deteriorating ties with the Taliban-led government in Kabul and growing domestic security concerns. Authorities have confirmed that they will not renew the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), which granted temporary legal status to many Afghans.
The crackdown has intensified as Pakistan entered the second phase of its deportation campaign, targeting thousands more Afghan nationals. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that between April 1 and May 12 alone, more than 128,000 Afghans were expelled—most of them forcibly.
Human rights organizations and returning refugees have raised alarms about the conditions of the deportations. Afghan migrants arriving at the Torkham border crossing have reported mistreatment by Pakistani authorities, including the confiscation of their money, belongings, and identification documents.
“We were stripped of everything,” one returnee told Amu TV. “Now we are back in Afghanistan with nothing and nowhere to go.”
The deportations come as Afghanistan continues to face a dire humanitarian and economic crisis. With few job opportunities and widespread poverty, the return of such large numbers has placed significant pressure on already strained services and infrastructure.
Observers warn that Pakistan’s policy could further destabilize Afghanistan, particularly as many of those returning lack shelter, support networks, or viable means of subsistence. UN agencies have appealed for greater international assistance to help manage the growing number of returnees.
