Afghan migrants returning from Pakistan say they are facing extortion, intimidation and forced displacement as Islamabad presses ahead with its campaign to expel undocumented immigrants from the country.
Local sources in eastern Afghanistan told Amu TV that Pakistani police officers were demanding money from migrants at border crossings, particularly at the busy Torkham crossing, often using force or threats.
According to the sources, some migrants were stopped multiple times and compelled to hand over money while attempting to leave Pakistan.
The allegations come as thousands of Afghan nationals continue returning from Pakistan following a government crackdown targeting undocumented migrants and some holders of temporary residency documents.
Local residents and migrants also reported that pressure from Pakistani authorities had become so intense that some Afghan families were forced to demolish homes they had built over many years before leaving the country.
Images and videos shared with Amu TV showed damaged homes in migrant communities in Pakistan that residents said they had dismantled themselves after being ordered to vacate the areas.
Sources said Pakistani officials had instructed migrants to destroy their houses and return to Afghanistan as quickly as possible.
Pakistan has not publicly responded to the allegations of extortion or forced demolition.
The expulsions have unfolded against a backdrop of worsening relations between Pakistan and the Taliban.
Over the past six months, tensions between the two sides have escalated sharply, including border clashes, airstrikes and repeated accusations by Islamabad that Taliban are sheltering militants from the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP.
The Taliban deny the accusations and insist Afghanistan’s territory is not used to launch attacks against other countries.
Despite several rounds of talks involving regional mediators, including meetings linked to Qatar, Turkey and China, tensions remain unresolved, with trade routes and border crossings periodically disrupted.
Analysts and rights advocates have increasingly warned that Afghan migrants are bearing the consequences of the political and security dispute between Islamabad and the Taliban.
The treatment of Afghan migrants has also become a contentious political issue inside Pakistan.
Mahmood Khan Achakzai, a veteran Pashtun nationalist leader, recently criticized Islamabad’s approach toward Afghanistan, saying the crisis could not be resolved through threats or coercion.
“Problems with Afghanistan cannot be solved through threats,” he said in public remarks circulated online. “They require serious dialogue and regional engagement.”
At the same time, the Taliban-run commission responsible for migrant affairs said Pakistan was deliberately delaying returning Afghans at the Torkham crossing under various pretexts.
The commission called on humanitarian organizations and international agencies to engage with Islamabad to prevent abuse and facilitate the return process.
Pakistan launched its migrant deportation campaign in 2023, arguing that undocumented foreigners were linked to crime and security threats. Since then, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have left or been expelled from the country, according to UN agencies.
Aid groups warn that many returnees are arriving in Afghanistan with few possessions, limited financial resources and uncertain prospects in a country already facing deep economic hardship and humanitarian crisis.
