Islamabad, Aug 06: The Pakistan government has decided to repatriate over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration cards from September 1, a media report said on Wednesday.
The efforts to send back Afghan refugees began in 2023 when the government announced to expel all illegal aliens. According to government sources, so far about 800,000 Afghan citizens have been repatriated.
The Dawn newspaper reported that the federal government has informed the provinces that the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will begin on September 1.
The decision follows the Interior Ministry’s announcement on July 31 that PoR cardholders — the last category of Afghans legally residing in Pakistan without visas — became unlawful residents after their cards expired on June 30.
A letter from the Interior Ministry, dated August 4, was sent to the chief secretaries and police chiefs of the four provinces, as well as Pakistan-occupied Kashmir’s Gilgit-Baltistan, regarding the implementation of the ongoing Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP).
“It has been decided that the voluntary return of PoR cardholders shall commence forthwith, while the formal repatriation and deportation process will take effect from September 1, 2025,” the letter said.
Besides, the ministry said that repatriation of illegal foreign nationals, including Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, would continue as per the earlier decision under the IFRP.
In the letter, the authorities in PoK were instructed to provide databases of PoR cardholders to provincial, divisional and district committees.
The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will facilitate the deregistration of returning Afghans at transit areas and border terminals, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) supporting repatriation at designated border crossings, it said.
The ministry also directed provincial governments and relevant agencies to map all PoR cardholders and devise action plans for repatriation. It called for designated transit areas for deportees, along with transportation and financial arrangements.
Official sources told Dawn that Pakistani authorities had informed their Afghan counterparts earlier in March this year that PoR cards would not be extended beyond June 30, 2025.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 1.3 million Afghans were living in Pakistan as of June 30, 2025. Of this, over half (717,945) were in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, while 326,584 resided in Balochistan, 195,188 in Punjab, 75,510 in Sindh, and 43,154 in Islamabad.
In 2004-05, the Pakistan government, with assistance from the UNHCR, issued PoR cards to Afghan refugees, and in 2016, Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC) were introduced through an amendment to the Foreigners Act 1946.
Meanwhile, the UNHCR, in a statement, expressed concern over Pakistan’s intention to forcibly return Afghan refugees holding PoR cards.
“Over the past days, UNHCR has received reports of arrests and detention of Afghans across the country, including PoR cardholders,” it said.
The UN agency said it acknowledged and appreciated Pakistan’s generosity in hosting refugees for over 40 years amid its own challenges.
However, given that those holding PoR cards have been recognised as refugees for decades, their forced return is contrary to Pakistan’s long-standing humanitarian approach to this group and would constitute a violation of the principle of non-refoulement, according to the Dawn. PTI
