ISLAMBABAD: In a brazen display of disregard for human rights, Pakistan continues its relentless campaign to forcibly expel Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in the country for decades. The Pakistani government’s “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” has now reached a critical phase for Afghans to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi having passed, triggering a new wave of deportations that separates families and places vulnerable people at grave risk. Since September 2023, Pakistan has forcibly returned over 844,000 Afghan nationals to a country gripped by economic crisis and political instability. The recent escalation has seen nearly 9,000 Afghans deported in just the first week of April 2025, according to the UN Refugee Agency. Behind these numbers lie countless human tragedies – families torn apart, children denied education, and individuals living in constant fear.
Pakistan’s approach to Afghan refugees has been characterized by opacity, arbitrariness, and a disturbing lack of humanitarian consideration. The government has never made public the exact content of its deportation plan, leaving thousands in limbo with constantly shifting deadlines and contradictory directives. This lack of transparency serves only to heighten anxiety among already traumatized communities. The Pakistani government’s justifications for these expulsions rest on the cynical scapegoating of Afghan refugees.
Interior Minister Moshin Naqvi S requirements for no-objection certificates – documents notoriously difficult to obtain – create bureaucratic barriers designed to facilitate removals rather than protect vulnerable people. Former Prime Minister Anwaar-ul-Haq Kakar’s inflammatory rhetoric linking refugees to terrorism and crime has fueled a dangerous narrative that demonizes an entire community. “It is disingenuous to frame Afghan refugees as a menace to the cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi,” notes Isabelle Lassée of Amnesty International. “The Government of Pakistan is only making a scapegoat of a community that has long been disenfranchised and fleeing persecution.”
This scapegoating has real consequences. Afghans in Pakistan report constant fear, near-daily police raids, arbitrary detentions, and harassment. The UN documented 1,245 Afghans being arrested or detained in January alone – more than double the figure from the previous year. Those rounded up often find themselves held in facilities like the Haji camp in Islamabad, where detainees reportedly receive inadequate food and shelter while awaiting deportation. The Pakistani government’s actions violate fundamental principles of international human rights law, particularly non-refoulement – the prohibition against returning refugees to places where they face persecution. Even those holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UNHCR are being forced to relocate within Pakistan, destroying communities and livelihoods built over decades.
The human toll extends beyond those directly deported. The Pakistani government’s policies have created a climate of fear that effectively imprisons Afghans in their homes. Children have been forced out of schools. Families report neighbors disappearing overnight. Afghan nationals avoid seeking medical care or employment for fear of detection. This psychological terrorism compounds the already significant trauma experienced by people who fled conflict and persecution. Indeed, the Pakistani government’s own contradictory actions undermine its claims of legal legitimacy. In January 2025, officials assured the Supreme Court that Afghan refugees registered “in any way” would not be “apprehended” or “deported.” The Islamabad High Court directed authorities to cease harassment of PoR card holders. Yet the deportations continue unabated, showing a disturbing disregard for judicial oversight.
Pakistan’s campaign comes at a time when cross-border tensions have escalated, with Islamabad blaming Afghanistan-based militants for attacks on Pakistani security forces. But punishing vulnerable refugee populations for geopolitical grievances represents a profound moral failure. Using desperate people as pawns in bilateral disputes violates every principle of humanitarian protection. The consequences of Pakistan’s policies extend beyond immediate human suffering. By forcibly returning Afghans, including journalists, human rights defenders, women protesters, artists, and former government officials, Pakistan is potentially consigning them to persecution. A 2023 UN report found hundreds of former government officials and armed forces members were allegedly killed despite assurances of amnesty.
Pakistan has historically been a refuge for Afghans fleeing decades of conflict. This legacy makes the current betrayal all the more striking. By implementing its harsh deportation campaign with such indiscriminate cruelty – separating families, detaining children, ignoring valid protection claims, and dismissing international obligations – Pakistan’s government has chosen to write a shameful new chapter in its relationship with its neighbor’s most vulnerable citizens. As thousands more face forced return in the coming weeks, the international community must hold Pakistan accountable for these violations and press for the immediate withdrawal of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.” The lives and dignity of nearly three million people hang in the balance.
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