Minister of State for Interior Tallal Chaudhry ruled out any extension in the deadline for repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, warning that Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement to third countries will be deported from Pakistan if their host nations fail to relocate them by April 30.
Speaking at a press conference, the minister said that the deadline for voluntary return of ACC holders expired on March 31 and there would be no blanket extension. He confirmed that 857,157 undocumented foreign nationals have so far been sent back to their respective countries under the ongoing repatriation policy launched in October 2023.
Tallal Chaudhry said that while many individuals had been approved for relocation by Western countries, delays in the resettlement process could not justify a blanket relaxation of Pakistan’s policy. However, he clarified that individual cases could be considered by the government based on cogent reasoning.
The minister said the government was implementing a one-document regime under which valid visas and passports would be mandatory for entry into Pakistan. He reiterated that the phased repatriation policy was based on national security concerns, adding that Afghan nationals had been found involved in narcotics and terrorism-related activities.
Explaining the phased approach, he said the first phase targeted undocumented foreigners, followed by ACC holders in the second phase. The third phase will involve the deportation of individuals possessing Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
Chaudhry said arrangements had been made to ensure the dignified return of Afghan nationals. Transit centres have been established across the country, including 38 in Punjab, three in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, two in Sindh, three in Azad Kashmir, and one each in Balochistan, Islamabad, and Gilgit-Baltistan. ACC holders are being provided with temporary shelter, food, medical aid, and transportation prior to their departure.
He said Pakistan currently hosts 815,247 Afghan Citizen Card holders and 1,469,522 individuals registered under the PoR programme. Responding to a question, the minister added that a mechanism was in place to trace and deport Afghans who were neither registered with the UNHCR nor in the process of resettlement to third countries.
