Over 200,000 Afghans Depart Pakistan Amid Renewed Deportation Campaign

Since Pakistan intensified its deportation efforts in April 2025, over 200,000 Afghan nationals have been compelled to leave the country. The majority of these individuals had their residence permits canceled, including those born in Pakistan or residing there for decades. In April alone, more than 135,000 Afghans departed, followed by approximately 67,000 in May and over 3,000 in the first two days of June. This mass exodus has raised concerns about Afghanistan’s capacity to accommodate such a large influx, especially as Iran has also increased expulsions of Afghan nationals. The United Nations’ International Organization for Migration (IOM) has expressed apprehension over the strain on Afghanistan’s already fragile reception and reintegration systems, urging all countries to suspend forced returns until conditions for safe and dignified repatriation are ensured.