In April 2025, over 100,000 Afghans departed Pakistan following the government’s cancellation of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs), which had previously granted temporary legal status to many Afghan nationals. This action marked the second phase of Pakistan’s broader initiative to repatriate undocumented foreigners, with the first phase in 2023 targeting those without any legal documentation.
The Pakistani government attributes the expulsions to national security concerns, citing increased border attacks and alleged involvement of Afghan nationals in such incidents. However, the Taliban-led Afghan government has criticized these measures as unilateral and has called for the dignified return of Afghan refugees.
Many Afghans, including individuals born and raised in Pakistan, have left voluntarily to avoid potential police harassment. Notably, more than half of those deported are children, who now face challenges in Afghanistan, such as restrictions on girls’ education and limited access to employment opportunities.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reported that in April alone, there were 12,948 arrests and detentions of Afghans in Pakistan, surpassing the total number for the entire previous year.