Afghan refugees struggle with uncertainty as Pakistan weighs deportation

PESHAWAR: Decades after the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, millions of Afghans remain reluctant to return to their homeland. Since the Taliban’s 2021 takeover, between 700,000 to 800,000 Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan. Now, with the expiration of Pakistan’s March 31 deadline for illegal residents and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, approximately 2.8 million Afghan refugees face an anxious future.

Abdus Salam, a 55-year-old Afghan businessman running a hotel near Nowshera’s GT Road, shared his concerns with Hum News English. His family fled Afghanistan during General Zia-ul-Haq’s era when he was just 15. “My children were born and raised here—Pakistan is their home,” he said. “Forcing us back endangers our lives and livelihoods. Afghanistan remains unstable, and anything could happen there. We are peaceful, hardworking people; we should be allowed to stay.”

Deadline ends: Afghan refugees repatriation begins today

The Pakistani government has finalised preparations to repatriate undocumented Afghans and ACC holders via the Torkham and Chaman borders. Official estimates indicate over 2.8 million registered Afghan refugees in Pakistan, including 1.34 million Proof of Registration (POR) cardholders —716,000 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) alone—and roughly 800,000 ACC holders, with 359,000 residing in KP. Additionally, 760 Afghan students are enrolled in KP’s universities and colleges.

Since October 2023, Pakistan’s crackdown on illegal immigrants has repatriated 845,000 Afghans. In the final phase of this campaign, 90 Afghans were recently sent back via Torkham out of which 77 held ACC cards, while 13 lacked any legal documentation.

As pressure mounts, Afghan refugees like Salam plead for leniency, fearing a return to uncertainty. With no signs of policy reversal, their fate hangs in the balance.