By Asghar Ali Mubarak
Pakistan’s ongoing deportation drive targeting Afghan nationals has entered a more accelerated and controversial phase, reflecting a tightening intersection of security concerns, migration policy and regional instability. Under what the authorities describe as the “Illegal Migrant Return Plan,” enforcement agencies have stepped up arrests and removals of both documented and undocumented Afghan citizens across multiple cities, signaling a shift from managed repatriation timelines to a far more immediate and, at times, forceful implementation on the ground.
Official figures and recent reporting from international humanitarian organizations suggest that more than 146,000 Afghan nationals have been deported in the early months of 2026 alone. The government’s position is that the policy is designed to dismantle illicit facilitation networks, curb unauthorized residency, and respond to what it describes as growing cross-border security threats. Yet the speed and scope of the campaign have raised concerns among rights groups and legal observers, particularly as enforcement appears to have moved ahead of previously announced deadlines for different categories of Afghan residents.
The policy itself distinguishes between several groups, including holders of Afghan Citizen Cards, Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders, and individuals awaiting relocation to third countries such as Canada or the United States. In principle, each category has been assigned different deadlines for departure or renewal. In practice, however, reports indicate that enforcement action has in some cases begun ahead of those cut-off dates, with individuals being transferred to holding centers before deportation. Afghan Citizen Card holders, whose deadline expired earlier, have seen renewed and intensified pressure in recent months, while even PoR card holders—whose legal stay was extended into 2025—are reportedly being approached for removal in certain jurisdictions.
Those in transit under asylum or resettlement pathways have also been caught up in the process, adding further complexity to an already strained system. The government’s justification rests heavily on security considerations. Officials argue that recent militant violence, including suicide attacks and coordinated assaults in Pakistan’s border provinces and major cities, has been linked to networks operating across the Afghan frontier. Intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism departments have repeatedly stated that militant groups, particularly the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, often referred to in official discourse under a different designation, continue to exploit porous border regions.
Border management has therefore become a central pillar of the policy response. At crossings such as Torkham and Chaman, authorities have tightened documentation requirements under a “one document regime,” restricting movement to passport and visa holders only. Meanwhile, dozens of transit and holding centers have been established across the country to manage the logistical scale of repatriations. Officials say these measures are necessary to restore control over irregular migration flows and to disrupt alleged logistical support networks for militant groups operating inside Pakistan.
However, the policy is unfolding against a backdrop of legal scrutiny and humanitarian concern. Pakistan’s higher judiciary has, in several instances, intervened to limit or delay deportations, particularly where individuals have pending asylum claims or belong to vulnerable groups. Courts in different provinces have issued orders restraining authorities from deporting Afghan nationals with valid documentation or ongoing international protection processes, underscoring the tension between executive enforcement and judicial oversight. These interventions highlight the contested nature of the policy, which sits at the intersection of state security and international protection obligations.
Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for decades, often absorbing large waves of displacement following conflict in Afghanistan. Official estimates place the Afghan population in the country at more than 2.5 million, including approximately 1.4 million registered refugees and around 800,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders. Many have lived in Pakistan for generations, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, where entire communities have developed long-standing social and economic ties. Yet the government argues that prolonged displacement has created administrative strain, informal labor pressures, and security vulnerabilities that can no longer be managed under existing frameworks.
Diplomatically, the issue continues to weigh heavily on relations between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan maintains that commitments under international agreements require Afghan territory not to be used for hostile activity against neighboring states, and has repeatedly raised concerns over what it describes as insufficient action against militant sanctuaries. Afghan authorities, for their part, have rejected such claims, contributing to an already fragile and mistrustful regional dynamic. As deportations continue, Pakistan’s strategy appears to be hardening rather than softening, shaped by a combination of security imperatives, political pressures and institutional resolve. Yet the scale of removals, the speed of enforcement, and the blurred boundaries between legality and urgency ensure that the policy remains one of the most sensitive and closely watched developments in the region.
(The writer is a senior journalist covering various beats, can be reached at editorial@metro-morning.com)
