Pakistani authorities have sharply escalated raids, detentions and forced returns of Afghan refugees in recent months, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday, warning that the move has left thousands at risk and unable to access basic services.
The group said police operations targeting Afghan communities have intensified following renewed clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with officers carrying out door-to-door raids, late-night searches and arrests, often without warrants.
More than 146,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan so far in 2026, according to the report, with the pace of expulsions increasing since early April.
“Pakistani authorities are spreading fear among Afghan refugees instead of treating them as people in need of protection,” said Fereshta Abbasi, Afghanistan researcher at Human Rights Watch. She said police practices were forcing many refugees to forgo food, health care and other essentials, while deportations risk returning them to persecution.
Human Rights Watch said Afghan refugees — including those with valid visas — have been detained during routine activities such as shopping, attending school or seeking work. Some reported having their phones and money confiscated, with officers demanding bribes for release. Those unable to pay were detained and later expelled, the group said.
Many refugees are now avoiding hospitals and public services out of fear of arrest. Afghan families in Pakistan often cannot access health care without valid documentation, which has been difficult to obtain since the government stopped renewing certain residency permits in 2023.
“My daughter is ill, and I can’t take her to the hospital in fear of police arrest,” one Afghan woman in Islamabad told the organization.
The crackdown has also led to family separations, with some children deported alone while parents remain in Pakistan, according to the report. In some cases, entire communities have been cleared, including a November operation in Balochistan Province in which authorities demolished homes after removing residents.
Human Rights Watch said many of those returned face serious risks in Afghanistan, particularly journalists, activists and others linked to the former Western-backed government. Some deported families have ended up in overcrowded border camps with limited access to food, shelter and medical care.
The group said Pakistan’s actions may violate its obligations under international law, including protections against returning individuals to countries where they face a risk of persecution or harm.
The report comes amid a broader deterioration in conditions for Afghan refugees in the region. Since 2023, more than 5.4 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran, often under pressure, while humanitarian services along the border have declined due to funding shortages.
Human Rights Watch called on Pakistan to halt forced returns and address what it described as abusive police practices, and urged other governments to press Islamabad on refugee protections.
