Nearly 4,000 Illegal Afghan Nationals sent back from Rawalpindi in 10 months

RAWALPINDI: Official documents have revealed that 3,942 undocumented Afghan nationals were sent back from Rawalpindi during the first ten months of this year, according to news.

According to the documents, 2,817 Afghans without valid travel papers were repatriated to Afghanistan, while 232 were deported after their visas expired. Another 22 Afghans, carrying various types of identity cards, were also sent back.

The records show that authorities detained 5,154 Afghan nationals during the crackdown. Among them were 665 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and 1,394 Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders. After verifying their documents, officials released 1,027 individuals. Currently, 185 Afghan nationals are still being held at the Rawalpindi holding center.

Earlier, the federal government decided to start the repatriation of registered Afghan refugees living in Islamabad and Rawalpindi.

A notification issued by the Prime Minister’s Office stated that these refugees will be relocated by March 31 as part of a phased repatriation plan, which will first focus on the twin cities. The government clarified that PoR cardholders will not be forced to leave the country.

At present, around two million Afghan refugees live in Pakistan — including 1.3 million PoR cardholders and 700,000 ACC holders. The government has allowed PoR cardholders to stay until June.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is working with international organizations and foreign embassies to support the repatriation process.

In 2023, Pakistan’s caretaker government announced the return of 1.1 million illegal Afghan nationals. Officials said the decision followed a nationwide crackdown on terrorism, currency smuggling, and the illegal trade of sugar and fertilizer.

According to sources, the federal cabinet approved the plan through a summary circulated by the Interior Ministry.

Also Read

Over 59K illegal Afghan nationals repatriated to their country

ISLAMABAD: The repatriation of illegal foreign nationals to their homeland from different...