According to a recent report by Pakistan’s The Tribune newspaper, the large-scale repatriation of undocumented Afghan nationals from Pakistan continues at a rapid pace, with a total of 988,812 individuals returned to Afghanistan so far.
Kabul 24: The published figures indicate that among those repatriated, 230,470 held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, 71,570 possessed Afghan citizenship cards, and 686,772 had no legal documentation whatsoever.
Just yesterday (Wednesday), 2,312 Afghan nationals were sent back through the Torkham border crossing. Of these, 1,522 were PoR card holders, 277 held Afghan citizenship cards, and 513 were without any valid documents.
Pakistani authorities have repeatedly stated that this operation is part of a broader strategy to manage irregular migration, ease the burden on public resources, and regulate the presence of foreign nationals in the country.
The government had earlier declined to extend the legal stay period for undocumented migrants and intensified deportations starting late last year.
In response, Afghan officials have on multiple occasions expressed serious concern over the manner in which the repatriations are being carried out, repeatedly calling on Pakistani authorities to ensure that the process is conducted in a humane and principled manner.
Afghan spokespersons have warned in recent months that mass and poorly coordinated expulsions create significant humanitarian challenges, particularly for women, children, and other vulnerable groups, and have urged either a halt or at least a substantial revision of the current approach.
Despite these appeals, official statistics show that deportations are continuing at high speed and are likely to increase further in the coming weeks and months.
This is happening at a time when Afghanistan continues to grapple with severe economic difficulties, ongoing security issues, and limited capacity to absorb such a large number of returnees.
The sudden return of hundreds of thousands of people is placing additional strain on the country’s already fragile social and economic infrastructure.
Analysts warn that without meaningful coordination between the two sides and the establishment of joint mechanisms to manage the return process in an orderly way, the current trend could lead to heightened tensions and even more serious humanitarian consequences.
