More than 7,000 Afghan nationals were detained in Pakistan over the past month, most of them lacking valid residency documents, according to a joint report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency (UNHCR).
The report said over 95% of those detained were holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) or people without documentation, while only about 5% possessed Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued to registered refugees.
Pakistan detained around 6,200 undocumented migrants and 740 PoR card holders in January alone, the report said.
Balochistan accounted for the highest number of detentions, with 3,713 Afghan nationals taken into custody, followed by Islamabad with 1,528 cases. By province, Balochistan made up 53% of detentions, Islamabad 22%, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa 11%, Sindh 8% and Punjab 6%, the agencies said.
The report added that more than 77,000 Afghan nationals returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan during the first month of the year, nearly 7,000 of them through forced deportations. About 95% of returnees cited fear of arrest as the main reason for leaving, according to the findings.
Over the past 11 months, more than 1.15 million Afghan nationals have returned from Pakistan, with about 158,000 forcibly expelled, the report said.
Afghan migrants living in Pakistan described growing anxiety amid stepped-up detentions and the suspension of visa extensions. Some said they were unable to return to Afghanistan and urged international organisations and Pakistani authorities to provide legal residency options for vulnerable migrants.
Pakistan has been implementing a phased deportation plan targeting undocumented foreign nationals. Authorities have intensified enforcement following recent border tensions with the Taliban administration in Afghanistan, ordering mass deportations and halting visa renewals.
Pakistani officials have said no individual or institution is permitted to shelter migrants without valid documents, warning that all undocumented foreigners must leave the country.
