KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban-run Afghanistan Embassy in Islamabad says Pakistan has finalized a plan to deport all Afghan refugees from the country.
In a statement posted on X on Wednesday, the embassy said the Pakistani government has decided to immediately remove all Afghan refugees, including those holding ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) and PoR (Proof of Registration) cards, from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. It added that expulsions will soon extend to the rest of the country.
Citing Pakistani officials, the embassy stated that the move is an official decision of the government, and from now on, only Afghans with valid visas will be permitted to reside in Islamabad and the neighboring city of Rawalpindi.
“Ultimately, officials from Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed that there is a definitive and final plan to deport/remove all Afghan refugees not only from Islamabad and Rawalpindi but also from the entire country in the near future,” the embassy said.
The embassy highlighted that Afghan nationals in both cities have recently faced arrests, searches, and police orders to leave or relocate to other parts of Pakistan.
It further stated that Taliban authorities had “expressed serious concerns” regarding the “mass expulsion of Afghan refugees within such a short timeframe and the unilateral nature of Pakistan’s decision.”
Pakistan is home to approximately 2.9 million Afghan refugees, according to the UN, with 1.3 million holding PoR cards and more than 800,000 having other legal statuses, including ACC cards. Thousands of Afghans fled to Pakistan following the Taliban’s return to power, hoping for resettlement in third countries, particularly the U.S.
However, Since January, arrests of Afghan nationals in cities like Islamabad and Rawalpindi have surged, with reports indicating that individuals have been detained and deported regardless of their documentation status.
The crackdown has fueled fear and distress among Afghan refugees, many of whom have been in hiding since Pakistan began mass deportations of “illegal immigrants” in November 2023. More than 800,000 Afghans have been deported since then.
Meanwhile, the suspension of the U.S. Refugee Programs, announced in late January, has further complicated matters for Afghan refugees in Pakistan who had hoped for swift relocation.
