Thousands of Afghan refugees have rushed to cross the border into Afghanistan in recent days as Pakistan intensifies pressure on undocumented migrants and those holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) to leave the country. The exodus follows Islamabad’s April deadline for nearly 800,000 Afghans to depart, marking the latest phase of Pakistan’s repatriation campaign.
Long queues of families laden with belongings formed at the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, mirroring scenes from late 2023 when mass deportations first began. The UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 8,000 Afghans returned in just two days, warning of a surge in forced returns in the coming weeks. Taliban officials, however, put the figure slightly lower, estimating 6,000 to 7,000 returnees since April began.
“We are urging Pakistan not to deport Afghans forcefully—there must be a dignified and agreed mechanism,” said Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, a Taliban refugee ministry spokesman, adding that over a million Afghans could eventually return.
For many, the journey has been fraught with hardship. Abdul Rahman, 38, who lived in Quetta for six years, told AFP he was given less than an hour to leave after authorities raided his home. “I sold my phone and a carpet just to afford the trip—everything else was left behind,” he said.
“We travelled 18 hours only to be turned back,” said Gul Agha, a refugee forced to offload and repack his belongings. Customs officials maintain that no vehicle will enter Afghanistan without TAD clearance.
As the deadline passes, Afghan businesses in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are shutting down, and Pakistan’s NADRA has begun canceling fraudulent CNICs issued to Afghans. Authorities have ruled out further extensions, signaling a wave of arrests and deportations in the days ahead.
Also read: Pak-Afghan jirgas agree on ceasefire and reopening of Torkham Border
