Pakistan Resumes Expulsion of Over One Million Afghanistani Migrants

DID Press: Pakistani government has once again resumed the process of expelling Afghanistani migrants who hold residence cards—an action that, according to officials, will affect about 1.4 million people across the country.

The decision was made after the expiration of Afghanistani migrants’ identity cards known as the Proof of Registration (POR) at the end of June 2025. The Pakistani government has announced that this deadline will not be extended.

Following the new policy, Pakistani police forces in various provinces—including Punjab, Balochistan, and Sindh—have launched operations to detain and deport undocumented migrants.

Alongside the holders of POR cards, around 800,000 other migrants who possess “Afghan Citizen Cards” (ACC) are also being targeted, as these documents are no longer recognized by Pakistani authorities.

The decision has sparked a wave of concern internationally. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in response to this development, warned of the humanitarian consequences of forced deportations—especially for Afghanistani women and children—and has called for an immediate halt to the process and a review of Pakistan’s migration policies.

Afghanistani migrants, most of whom fled to Pakistan due to war, insecurity, and poverty, have played an important role for decades in various economic and social sectors of the country. However, political pressures and changes in Islamabad’s migration policies have made their residency increasingly difficult and unstable