ISLAMABAD — More than 100,000 Afghan nationals have been deported from Pakistan in the past three weeks, according to figures released by Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior, marking a sharp escalation in Islamabad’s ongoing crackdown on undocumented migrants.
As of April 1, at least 100,529 Afghans have been expelled, part of the second phase of a controversial deportation campaign that has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights groups and international organisations. Pakistan is currently home to an estimated three million Afghan refugees, many of whom fled decades of war and instability.
The latest wave of deportations has hit provinces including Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan, with thousands reportedly detained before being sent across the border.
Authorities have defended the move by citing national security concerns, alleging involvement of Afghan migrants in drug trafficking and terrorism. However, advocacy groups argue the crackdown is indiscriminate and has uprooted families who have lived in Pakistan for generations.
The return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, a nation mired in economic collapse and humanitarian crisis, has left many deportees facing uncertainty and despair. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) warns that with 5,000 people returning weekly, the country is plunging deeper into poverty and instability. More than half of Afghanistan’s population now depends on humanitarian aid, according to the ICRC.
The situation continues to evolve, with international pressure mounting on Pakistan to reconsider the mass expulsions and uphold refugee protections.
