Over 844,000 Afghans had already repatriated since end 2023.
Shahab Yousafzai
Since September 2023, Pakistan has repatriated at least 844,499 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan, as part of its “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” raising concerns about the well-being of those returned, especially given the ongoing instability and economic crisis in Afghanistan.
At least 20% of those deported from Islamabad and Rawalpindi had documentation from the UN Refugee Agency, meaning they were recognised as people in need of international protection.
Pakistan has a long record of taking in Afghan refugees. But cross-border attacks have surged and stoked tension between the two neighbors. Pakistan blames them on militants based in Afghanistan, which the Taliban government denies. Since September 2023, the year Pakistan launched its “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” 836,238 individuals have now been returned to Afghanistan.
