With August 31 set as the final deadline for the return of registered Afghan nationals from Pakistan, humanitarian agencies are raising alarm over the growing challenges awaiting returnees inside Afghanistan.
The Government of Pakistan has confirmed that Afghan citizens holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards must return voluntarily by the end of the month. The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) has already shared comprehensive data with provincial and district authorities, while administrative and logistical arrangements at border terminals have been finalised.
As part of the government’s repatriation plan, biometric verification has been made mandatory, and the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will terminate the active registration of PoR holders after the deadline. Designated transit zones and transportation routes have been identified, and district-level coordination committees are now linked to a central control room to oversee operations. The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has been tasked with managing the designated border crossings, and a Foreign Nationals Security Dashboard will monitor repatriation in real-time.
However, as the repatriation process accelerates, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has warned that funding to support Afghan returnees from Pakistan and Iran is rapidly drying up. In a statement on Sunday, the agency said returnees face immense difficulties in rebuilding their lives amid escalating humanitarian needs within Afghanistan.
According to UN Secretary-General spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, more than 1.7 million Afghans have returned from the two neighboring countries since the beginning of 2025, many of whom lack connections to local communities and struggle to find shelter, employment, and basic services.
Dujarric underscored the urgency of fresh donor commitments, citing warnings from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) that Afghanistan’s aid operations are suffering from a severe budget shortfall.
With the Pakistani government’s PoR repatriation deadline less than two weeks away, the pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure is expected to rise significantly—raising fears of a humanitarian crisis unless international support is scaled up immediately.
