Over 200,000 Afghans Leave Pakistan Amid Deportation Drive

More than 200,000 Afghans have left Pakistan since the government intensified its deportation drive in April, the Ministry of Interior informed, according to ARY News.

Over 135,000 Afghans left Pakistan in April, while the number declined to 67,000 in May. In the first two days of June alone, more than 3,000 Afghans were repatriated, the ministry added.

Millions of Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan over the decades, fleeing ongoing conflicts. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, hundreds of thousands more have crossed into Pakistan.

The ministry stated that since the launch of the repatriation program in November 2023, over one million Afghans have returned to their homeland, ARY News reported.

The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) recently expressed concern over the increasing number of Afghan families deported from Iran, reporting 15,675 crossings in May–a twofold rise from April. IOM warned that this influx could overwhelm Afghanistan’s fragile reception and reintegration systems.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has instructed Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders residing in Pakistan to leave the country by March 31, 2025. The ministry clarified that from April 1, 2025, deportation of ACC holders will commence as part of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Program (IFRP), which began on November 1, 2023.

The ministry assured that sufficient time has been provided for voluntary returns, emphasizing that no mistreatment will occur during repatriation. Arrangements for food and healthcare for returnees have been made to ensure a dignified process, ARY News added.

In the initial phase of the campaign, over 800,000 Afghans living illegally in Pakistan were repatriated.

It is estimated that approximately three million Afghans still reside in Pakistan. (ANI)