Pakistan has been a major refuge for Afghan refugees, hosting millions over the years. The influx began with over a million Afghans fleeing to Pakistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion, followed by subsequent waves of refugees. Recently, the Taliban’s takeover in 2021 led to another wave of migration, with many Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan due to the Taliban’s policies.
Pakistan’s approach to Afghan refugees evolved from initial hospitality to increasing hostility, fueled by security concerns and geopolitical tensions, especially after the TTP’s attack in Chitral in September 2023. The Pakistani government has intensified its operations to deport foreign nationals residing illegally in the country, with a particular focus on Afghan residents.
Afghan migrant deportations occurred in two phases: first, forced deportations of unregistered migrants in 2023, followed by a phase targeting Citizen Card holders, who were required to leave Pakistan by April 1, 2025.
International Organization of Migration (IOM) data reveals that, from September 15 2023 to April 2025, 861763 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan.
While Pakistan’s efforts to document foreigners, including Afghan refugees, are legitimate given its social, economic, and security concerns. However, the current approach also sparks humanitarian crises, with reports of injustice and limited access to fundamental rights.
Amid the ongoing deportation drive, concerns have emerged over the separation of family members. In some cases, one family member remains in Pakistan while others are detained or deported.
According to a report by Dawn, the son-in-law of a man named Zaeenuddin has been placed in a detention center in Karachi, while his daughter remains outside. Zaeenuddin has appealed to authorities, requesting either the release of his son-in-law or the inclusion of his daughter in the deportation process, so the couple can return to Afghanistan together.
Ghulam Hazrat, a 40-year-old Karachi native, has never seen Afghanistan. Born and raised in the city, he spent decades navigating its streets, first with his parents and later with his children in Suraj Goth after their passing. As a local bus driver, his life was routine until the night he returned home to find his family gone.
Amnesty International reported similar stories of Women, men, children, and intersex individuals facing forced deportation. Parwana Rahimi (pseudonym), a 27-year-old journalist from Afghanistan, requested the Pakistan government to support Afghan refugees facing genuine difficulties. Parwana has been working as a journalist since 2014, and her work is focused on women’s rights, aiming to raise awareness about socio-economic challenges faced by Afghan women. Facing imminent deportation, she fears returning to Afghanistan, where threats to her life once forced her to flee.
Sahar (pseudonym), a 20-year-old transgender woman from Afghanistan, came to Pakistan in 2023 to complete documentation for her and her family to resettle in a third country. Due to the high volume of these cases, she was told to wait. But the recent decision of Pakistan’s government put her at risk of going back to a country where there are no rights for women, and for transgender women, it is almost impossible to recognize their rights under the Taliban’s rule.
“A transgender person is unsafe at any place without a home,” she insisted.
These deportations will cause economic cost to Afghan refugees living here for generations. Many of them have established their businesses here after being deported; they will have nothing in Afghanistan.
Mehmood Azizi (pseudonym) told Amnesty International that they did labor work for 20 years, and then they started their own business. “We have nothing in Afghanistan,” he said. He pleaded for support and said that we pay our taxes and follow the rules, and requested Pakistani authorities to extend their cards for at least two years.
With roots going back generations in Pakistan, many deported Afghan migrants are questioning how they will rebuild their lives in Afghanistan, after leaving behind homes, livelihoods, and communities they had been part of.
Bakhtiar, a deported migrant from Pakistan, said: “All our harvests and cattle were lost. These problems began when they raided us. My son, Biyarzada, was also arrested, and even those who were at home were taken away.”
Mohammad Nabi, another deported migrant from Pakistan, said: “We ask that job opportunities be created for us. We have no homes, no land. All our belongings are left outside. There are no jobs, and no one has created employment for us. But our most urgent need is shelter.”
Afghan refugee Allah Muhammad worked as a nomadic shepherd in Balochistan before being detained by the Levies force in Toba Achakzai while grazing his flock. “My flock, my goats, my home—everything is still in Toba Achakzai. I’ve been left with nothing,” he said in a trembling voice.
Benazir Raufi, 43 year 43-year-old woman, who fled from Afghanistan with her family when she was 13 years old. Now, Raufi owns a restaurant in Rawalpindi. But recent deportations put her at risk of losing her business. She said that “I have no one to return to. Taliban won’t accept us.”
Many of the refugees fled to Pakistan, particularly to secure educational opportunities for their daughters. Now, they are raising concerns about the potential consequences of deportation, especially for girls’ access to education.
Dua Sfaey (pseudonym) came to Pakistan in 2021 after the Taliban takeover. She is worried for her daughter’s future as girls’ education is banned in Afghanistan. Safey said, “I have freedom in Pakistan. My daughter can go to school. There’s no future for me and my daughter in Afghanistan.”
The impact on children is particularly severe. A mother living in Killa Saifullah expressed deep concern about her children, who were born and raised in Pakistan. “Our children are afraid and scared. They do not want to leave this place. They don’t eat and sleep well, which will lead to mental and physical illnesses.”
The experiences of Afghan refugees in Pakistan carry common themes of hardship, uncertainty, resilience, and many facing decades-long displacement due to repeated crackdowns and settlement demolitions by authorities throughout the years.
It is a moral obligation on the international community, neighboring countries, and especially Western nations to share responsibility for refugee protection and resettlement. Ukraine is the best example to share when a crisis happened, all the neighboring states opened their borders without a visa or legal documents on a humanitarian basis.
The Afghan Refugee crisis should not be politicized; in fact, it should be treated on a humanitarian level. To safeguard Afghan refugees in Pakistan, authorities must immediately halt arbitrary arrests, deportations, and the discriminatory “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” ensuring compliance with the principle of non-refoulement and international human rights law.
Legal reforms are urgently needed—including ratifying the 1951 Refugee Convention, amending the Foreigners Act (1946), and accessible asylum pathways prioritizing women, minorities, journalists, and other at-risk groups.
Simultaneously, the international community must expand resettlement quotas, fund humanitarian aid, and facilitate safe, legal routes for refugees while pressuring Pakistan to uphold its obligations. Only through joint efforts by host and neighboring countries, international organizations, and civil society, can the root causes of the Afghan refugee crisis be addressed and future human rights violations averted.
