KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan is preparing to deport around 20,000 Afghan nationals from Peshawar, the capital of northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, as authorities launch a new phase of the country’s campaign against undocumented Afghans, local media reported.
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has completed preparations for the operation, which is expected to begin after the conclusion of the ongoing polio vaccination campaign, according to The Express Tribune newspaper.
The latest move follows directives from Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior to resume the detention and deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals from July 10.
Under the plan, Afghan families living in urban and rural areas of Peshawar will be transferred to the Nasir Bagh transit center, where authorities will carry out registration, identity verification and other administrative procedures before transporting them to the Torkham border crossing for return to Afghanistan.
According to The Express Tribune, authorities have collected information on Afghan residents in several parts of Peshawar, including Afghan Colony, Chamkani, Nasir Bagh, Charsadda Road, Ring Road, and Board Bazaar. Officials have also reportedly prepared separate lists of Afghan nationals working in markets, factories, workshops, and other commercial places.
Pakistan launched a nationwide campaign to remove undocumented foreign nationals in October 2023, citing security concerns and the need to enforce immigration laws. The policy has primarily affected Afghan nationals, many of whom have lived in Pakistan for decades following successive conflicts in Afghanistan.
The repatriation drive has intensified amid strained relations between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, as well as growing security concerns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a province that has witnessed a rise in militant attacks in recent years.
Pakistani officials say approximately 2.4 million Afghans have either returned voluntarily or been deported since the campaign began. According to data from the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR), more than 1.15 million Afghans returned from Pakistan in 2025 alone.
The deportation campaign has drawn concern from United Nations agencies and human rights organizations, which have warned that many Afghans returning to their homeland face economic hardship, limited access to services, and potential protection risks.
Humanitarian agencies have called on Pakistan to ensure that returns are conducted on a voluntary basis, in safety, and in full compliance with international law, particularly for individuals with potential protection needs. They have also urged the international community to create more resettlement pathways and provide greater support for Afghans who remain displaced.
