has decided to deport approximately 20,000 Afghan nationals who have been living in Pakistan for years while awaiting resettlement in the United States.
Kabul 24: According to reports from Pakistani media outlets, including The Nation, the group consists of exactly 19,973 individuals currently residing in the country and targeted under the “repatriation of illegal foreign nationals” program.
Informed sources indicate that the federal government has issued urgent directives to senior provincial authorities and police commanders in Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Azad Jammu & Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, as well as the Islamabad administration, to immediately begin implementing the deportation process.
A complete list of names is expected to be shared with relevant departments shortly to accelerate the operation.
This move comes against the backdrop of the mass exodus following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, when more than 100,000 Afghans crossed into Pakistan seeking safety.
A significant number of them had previously worked as interpreters, contractors, employees, or partners with U.S. forces, the British government, international organizations, and humanitarian agencies—making them eligible for special immigrant visa (SIV) or refugee resettlement programs in Western countries, particularly the United States.However, thousands of these individuals have remained in legal limbo for over four years.
Processing of their cases has been severely delayed or effectively suspended due to administrative bottlenecks, policy reviews, and changes in U.S. immigration priorities, leaving many families in prolonged uncertainty and precarious living conditions in Pakistan.Under the current decision, all Afghan citizens still awaiting finalization of their U.S. resettlement cases will be subject to forced return to Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities frame the measure as part of a broader, ongoing campaign to repatriate undocumented foreigners that has intensified in recent years.The planned deportation has raised serious alarm among international human rights organizations, refugee advocacy groups, and former U.S. officials.
Many of those affected previously received threats due to their past association with foreign forces and the current Afghan authorities.
Returning them to Afghanistan—where security conditions remain volatile and reprisals against former collaborators are well-documented—could place their lives in grave danger.Pakistan has not yet issued an official public statement on the specific figure or timeline, but multiple credible sources confirm that preparations are underway and implementation is expected to begin in the near future.
The development highlights the growing frustration among host countries with the slow pace of third-country resettlement programs and underscores the humanitarian consequences of prolonged limbo for at-risk Afghan populations.
