Pakistan to begin deportation of Afghan PoR card holders from September 1

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has formally initiated the next phase of its Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), announcing that Afghan nationals with expired Proof of Registration (PoR) cards need to leave the country starting September 1.

According to Pakistani media, the decision was finalized during a high-level government meeting on Tuesday. A ministry notification confirmed that all registered PoR cardholders—whose documentation expired on June 30, 2025—must now prepare for repatriation starting next month.

Since the deportation program began in November 2023, Pakistani authorities have forcibly returned more than 1.1 million individuals, including both undocumented migrants and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders.

Since April 2025 alone, over 216,000 individuals have been deported.

PoR cardholders—formally registered refugees documented by UNHCR—have until now remained exempt. As of June 30, 2025, UNHCR reported 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, the majority holding PoR cards, alongside approximately 800,000 ACC holders, many of whom also face forcible return starting next month.

Afghan refugees have been residing in Pakistan for decades—many since the Soviet invasion of the 1980s and Islamic Emirate takeover periods. While UNHCR counts a refugee population around 2.8 million, Pakistan’s own figures have fluctuated, with estimates reaching 4 million including undocumented residents.

Human rights observers and refugee advocates have raised concerns regarding the legality and humanitarian impact of the campaign.

Amnesty International described the IFRP as “opaque” and criticized mass relocations from cities like Islamabad and Rawalpindi, highlighting forced evictions that uproot communities established over decades. UN agencies have also flagged the risk of non‑refoulement violations due to hasty deportations.

The Afghan embassy in Islamabad, as well as the Islamic Emirate’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation in Kabul, have issued strong protests. Over 184,000 deportations have already occurred from Pakistan in 2025, part of nearly 1.8 million returns from Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey this year alone, an unprecedented scale that has alarmed relief agencies.

In April, acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi personally urged Pakistani authorities to uphold the rights of returning Afghans and allow them to repatriate proceeds from property or businesses left behind in Pakistan.

Despite these challenges, Pakistan maintains that the repatriations comply with domestic law and international principles. The Foreign Office has emphasized that its actions apply to all undocumented foreigners, not solely Afghans, and reaffirmed its longstanding role in hosting refugees while urging greater international support for solutions.

Critics argue, however, that the government’s approach risks destabilizing the region. The scale and speed of returns could exacerbate poverty and social unrest within Afghanistan. Yet authorities continue to assert the process is being carried out with dignity, including providing food, healthcare, and housing assistance during returns.

The newest phase—starting September 1—will target PoR cardholders who previously believed their status would be protected. Their sudden loss of legal residency has generated widespread anxiety across Afghan refugee communities.

UNHCR and human rights groups meanwhile continue to call on Pakistan to allow a voluntary, phased return process that safeguards vulnerable groups and upholds Afghanistan’s fragile stability.