UN: Afghanistan refugees Arrests in Pakistan Jump 146% in One Week

DID Press: The number of Afghanistan nationals detained in Pakistan has surged by 146 percent in just one week, according to a joint report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

During the week ending 1 November, a total of 7,764 Afghanistan citizens were detained and held in custody across Pakistan — a sharp increase compared to the previous week. The spike has been largely attributed to the reopening of border crossings, said the report.

According to the data, 77 percent of those detained were holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) or individuals without documentation, while the remaining 23 percent possessed Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.

The report also notes that 86 percent of all arrests occurred in Balochistan Province, with Chagai, Attock, and Quetta recording the highest numbers of Afghan detentions and temporary arrests since the beginning of the year.

Simultaneously, both voluntary returns and forced deportations of Afghans increased significantly in the final week of October. UN figures show voluntary returns rose by 101 percent, while deportations climbed by 131 percent compared to the previous week.

The number of Afghans returning rose from 18,630 (including 3,341 deportations) to 37,448 (including 7,733 deportations) during the week ending 1 November.

“This increase is largely linked to the reopening of the Chaman and Torkham border crossings on November 1,” the report said.

From 15 September 2023 to 1 November 2025, a total of 1,667,713 Afghans have returned from Pakistan.

According to the UN report, fear of arrest remains the primary reason for 93 percent of undocumented Afghans and ACC holders, and 39 percent of PoR cardholders, who have returned since April 2023.