Pakistan is working on its initiatives to deport Afghan people, prioritizing holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) in the subsequent phase of its deportation strategy. This effort is a component of a comprehensive strategy to tackle the situation of over 4 million Afghans who have sought refuge in Pakistan over the last forty years owing to persistent hostilities in Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government has established a deadline of March 31, 2025, for Afghan nationals seeking transfer to third countries to depart from Islamabad and Rawalpindi. This instruction impacts both illegal Afghans and those possessing ACCs, who are scheduled for prompt evacuation and repatriation to Afghanistan.
The Afghan embassy in Islamabad has expressed significant apprehensions regarding the mass departure, emphasizing concerns about the limited timeline and the absence of formal notification from Pakistani officials.
The embassy indicates that Afghan nationals have faced arrests, searches, and expulsion orders in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, resulting in increased apprehension within the Afghan community.
Pakistan’s foreign ministry has said that the repatriation process is part of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” launched in 2023, designed to expedite the return of Afghans to their country.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) have expressed apprehensions regarding the procedures and timeline of this relocation.
As the March 31 deadline nears, the situation remains dynamic, with continuous negotiations among Pakistani authorities, foreign organizations, and the Afghan government to resolve the intricacies related to the repatriation of Afghan people.
