Pakistan to expel Afghan refugees who miss March 31 deadline

By Staff Reporter

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan will detain and deport Afghan citizens who fail to leave by a March 31 deadline, officials said on Friday, brushing aside mounting international criticism of the expulsion plan.

The policy is part of the second phase of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Programme, launched in November 2023, which gave Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) holders until the end of March to leave or face expulsion.

Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi chaired a high-level meeting on Friday to finalize plans, including holding centers with food and healthcare for detainees awaiting deportation. “The federal government is coordinating with provinces for a smooth process,” Naqvi said, pledging full support to provincial authorities.

The meeting assigned Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry to troubleshoot provincial issues and agreed to form a committee to explore talks with the Afghan Taliban on terrorism, following a request from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.

The meeting was told that a door-to-door awareness campaign is underway, and the mapping of ACC holders has been completed.

ACCs, issued by Pakistan’s National Database and Registration Authority, grant temporary legal status to registered Afghan nationals, with validity set by the government. Separately, Afghan nationals, including those with UNHCR Proof of Registration cards, must relocate from Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31.

Officials said post-deadline crackdowns would target ACC holders with search operations to track undocumented Afghans. Biometric records will block future entry, and fraudulent documents will be canceled, with violators facing jail and fines. Citizens renting to illegal Afghans will also face penalties, they added.

Amnesty International called the plan “unyielding and cruel” in a Wednesday statement, accusing Pakistan of flouting international human rights law, including the nonrefoulement principle.

“The Pakistani government’s plans to arbitrarily and forcibly expel Afghan nationals, including refugees and asylum seekers, as part of the opaque ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’ will only add to their plight,” Amnesty said.

The Foreign Office countered that it has hosted millions of Afghans “with respect and dignity” despite scant global support.