Islamabad orders Afghan migrants out by 31 March

The directive applies to both Card holders and those without documents. From 1st April they will be forcibly expelled, but the advice is to ‘leave voluntarily’ before the deadline. Human rights groups are concerned. Meanwhile, at the Torkham crossing, tribal leaders from both sides have signed a truce.

Islamabad (AsiaNews) - Islamabad is giving Afghan migrants 24 days to ‘voluntarily’ leave Pakistan, and those who remain in the country after 31 March will face forced deportation, according to a statement from the Pakistani Ministry of the Interior.

The directive applies to holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) and all undocumented Afghan citizens. In addition, starting from 1st April, the authorities, in coordination with the security forces, will launch a nationwide operation to detain and expel those who are still in the country. The advice to everyone, the statement continues, is to ‘voluntarily leave’ before the deadline at the end of the month.

Pakistan began mass deportations of undocumented Afghan refugees in November 2023, with over 800,000 ACR cardholders still residing in the country.

The recent announcement therefore marks the beginning of the second phase of deportations, which targets those who had initially been authorised to stay.

Afghan migrants and rights groups have condemned Pakistan's policy of repatriation and deportations, calling it inhumane and a violation of international human rights standards. In fact, many of the refugees left their country of origin because the Taliban had returned to power in Kabul, and they risk their lives if they are repatriated.

Seema Nouri, a human rights activist, warns: ‘Forced deportations put thousands of lives at risk, as many will face persecution upon their return’.

Meanwhile, the police in Islamabad and Rawalpindi have intensified their arrests of Afghan migrants in recent days. ‘Just today, several families were picked up from different areas and transferred to Haji camp,’ said Ahmad Khalid, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan.

Since the beginning of 2025, the Pakistani authorities have extended house-to-house searches, detentions and deportations in major cities.

For thousands of Afghan families who fled Taliban rule, due to security threats, lack of education and economic hardship, Pakistan's latest directive has only increased uncertainty about their future.

Finally, the forces patrolling the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan at the Torkham crossing have agreed to a two-day ceasefire after weeks of hostilities, which began yesterday and for now seems to be holding despite the tensions.

The area was closed last month by the government in Islamabad following a dispute over the construction of a new checkpoint. In addition, there have been intense armed clashes in the last two weeks, causing the death of at least one person.

Hundreds of people were stranded at the border and traders suffered millions in losses due to the fact that lorries were unable to cross the border.

When interviewed by Anadolu, a high-ranking Pakistani official declared that the agreement had been reached during a tribal assembly at the Torkham border, which was attended by tribal chiefs and representatives from both countries, including 35 senior members for Afghanistan.

On the other hand, at a meeting of the UN Security Council on Afghanistan, Islamabad's envoy Munir Akram accused the Taliban government of ‘complicity’ in the attacks launched across the border by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militia.