A significant number of undocumented Afghan residents in Pakistan, most of whom had sought refuge in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, have returned. The Ministry of Interior of Pakistan has reported that more than 140,000 Afghans have returned within the deadline set for voluntary repatriation.
Following this, starting from today, Thursday, Pakistan authorities have announced the arrest of undocumented Afghan residents. However, the Taliban government has issued a call for extension of the deadline.
Naseer Khan, Deputy Commissioner of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province bordering Afghanistan, stated that over the past two weeks, around 144,000 Afghans have left Pakistan through the main border crossing at Torkham. This senior official mentioned that many of them had resided in Pakistan for nearly 30 years without any form of registration.
According to the Ministry of Interior, the total number of returning Afghan residents is 140,322. In a statement from the ministry, it was mentioned that the process of apprehending foreign nationals for repatriation will commence on November 1. At the same time, voluntary return is also being encouraged.
Pakistan hosts nearly 4 million Afghan refugees. According to government estimates, 1.7 million of them are undocumented.
Due to conflicts within Afghanistan dating back to the late 1970s, many Afghans left the country. Another wave of displacement occurred in 2021 when the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan.
Recently, Islamabad has taken a tough stance on Afghan residents. The country alleges that Afghan citizens are involved in militant attacks, thefts, and other crimes within Pakistan. However, Afghanistan denies these allegations.
