KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The legal status of more than 1.4 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan has expired today (June 30), leaving hundreds of thousands in a state of uncertainty and fear.
These individuals, most of whom hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by Pakistani authorities for temporary stay, now face the threat of deportation as the federal cabinet has yet to approve any extension to their legal stay.
Despite internal discussions, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior and the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) have failed to submit a formal summary to the cabinet. According to the Pakistani-based Khyber News, government sources indicate that a proposal to extend the validity of PoR cards by three to six months is under review, but no official decision has been made.
“Time is short. Without approval, these Afghan migrants have no legal right to stay beyond today,” a senior Pakistani official told Khyber News on condition of anonymity.
The PoR card system, initiated in 2006 with support from the UNHCR, grants temporary legal status to Afghan refugees in Pakistan but does not offer residency or citizenship. In 2023, Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) issued over 1.3 million smart PoR cards, allowing refugees access to basic services like education, healthcare, and mobile phone registration. Although those cards were extended to June 2025, the window has now closed without renewal.
The deadline marks the latest phase in Pakistan’s broader campaign to expel undocumented Afghans. Since October 2023, Pakistani authorities have forcibly removed nearly one million Afghans in two waves, targeting those with no legal documents or holding Afghan Citizen Cards. This third and final phase is expected to affect registered PoR cardholders.
According to the UNHCR, more than one million Afghans have been expelled from Pakistan between September 2023 and early June 2025, including over 900,000 undocumented individuals and tens of thousands of registered refugees.
Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned Pakistan’s crackdown, citing reports of arbitrary arrests, harassment, and the expulsion of vulnerable groups, including women, children, and individuals linked to the former Afghan government.
The deteriorating situation has alarmed humanitarian agencies. Calls for a compassionate policy have grown louder, as Afghanistan continues to grapple with economic instability, security concerns, and a lack of infrastructure to absorb returning populations.
While discussions continue in Islamabad, Afghan families living in refugee camps and urban settlements across Pakistan remain in limbo, unsure whether they will be allowed to stay or forced to return to a homeland many fled decades ago.
Rights groups have once again urged Pakistan to halt deportations. As of today, however, no such assurances have been provided.
