Pakistan has intensified its campaign against undocumented Afghan nationals, forcibly deporting over 11,000 individuals through the Torkham border.
According to reports, at least 3,669 Afghan refugees were sent back on Tuesday alone, as the authorities continue their nationwide crackdown following the expiration of a government-set deadline on March 31.
The campaign has affected a significant number of Afghan refugees who had been residing in Pakistan for decades. Among them are people born and raised in the country, many of whom have never set foot in Afghanistan.
The forced deportations have left families divided, homes abandoned, and livelihoods disrupted.
In Peshawar, police and district administration teams have been conducting raids targeting individuals carrying Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), those with expired visas, or without valid documentation.
According to the local media, many Afghan nationals were detained during these operations, some while at work, before being transported to detention facilities and eventually deported.
Gul Mohammad, one such deportee, recounted how he was running a small hotel business in the fruit market when police suddenly raided the premises.
He was detained at Haji Camp in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for four days before being deported to Afghanistan through the Torkham border. He now faces an uncertain future, having been separated from his family and stripped of his means of income.
Accounts from other deportees paint a grim picture. Several individuals said that their belongings were taken by police officers, and even those with valid visas or residence documents were not spared. Many described their treatment during deportation as unjust and humiliating.
One Afghan returnee, quoted by Amu TV, said, “Our belongings were taken. We were treated unfairly.” These reports have added to the growing concerns about the humanitarian consequences of the mass repatriations.
In response, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation Affairs condemned Pakistan’s actions, calling them a violation of Islamic teachings, humanitarian values, and international law.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the ministry urged that Afghan families be allowed to return with their assets and called for better coordination to ensure their safe reintegration into Afghan society.
The ministry further appealed to international organisations to step in and provide critical assistance to the affected refugees.
Afghanistan’s state-run Bakhtar News Agency reported that the government is preparing for the return of large numbers of its citizens and is seeking global cooperation to support them during this transition.
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