ISLAMABAD, Aug 6: The Pakistan government has announced that over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards will be repatriated starting September 1, 2025. This move follows the expiry of PoR cards on June 30, making holders unlawful residents. A letter from the Interior Ministry, dated August 4, directed provincial authorities, police, and officials in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan to begin voluntary returns immediately, with formal deportations commencing in September.
This initiative is part of the broader Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), launched in 2023, under which 800,000 Afghans have already been sent back. Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders will also continue to be repatriated as part of the plan. The government has tasked the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) with managing deregistration and deportation logistics at border crossings.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) expressed concern over forced returns, citing recent reports of arrests and detentions of PoR cardholders. The UN agency warned that such actions violate international law and Pakistan’s tradition of hosting Afghan refugees for over four decades. As of June 2025, over half of Pakistan’s registered Afghan refugees reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, followed by Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad. (PTI)
