Pakistan has intensified the deportation of Afghan migrants from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province following the expiry of an October 31 deadline, with recently returned Afghans alleging beatings, arbitrary detention, and confiscation of money by Pakistani police. The accounts, reported by Tolo News on Tuesday, 3 November 2026, paint a troubling picture of a crackdown that United Nations experts had warned against as recently as September 18.

What Deported Migrants Reported

Around 50 Afghan families crossed back into Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing by Monday, as arrests of Afghan nationals continued in multiple parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. One deported migrant, identified as Najibullah, said Pakistani police launched operations against Afghan refugees after a state of emergency was declared in the province. He alleged that Afghans were being picked up from homes, roads, and markets and taken to detention centres ahead of forced deportation.

A second deported migrant, quoted by Tolo News, described a more direct account of economic coercion: 'We were working at a factory there and earning around 600 Pakistani rupees a day. But they stopped us from working, took the money we had, arrested us at our workplace and forcibly deported us through the Torkham crossing.' A third returnee expressed despair over the absence of employment in Afghanistan, urging the Taliban administration to provide permanent jobs and address the worsening economic crisis facing returnees.

UN Warning and Non-Refoulement Obligations

The latest wave of deportations comes despite a formal warning issued on 18 September by United Nations human rights experts, who called on Islamabad to halt forced returns and urgently screen those at risk of persecution or torture before any removal. 'We are gravely concerned over Pakistan's forced return of Afghans. The immediate priority is the establishment of a transparent and accessible procedure through which Afghans at risk can come forward, be individually assessed, and obtain protection from removal while that assessment is carried out,' the experts said in a statement. They further cautioned that without such procedures, vulnerable individuals would remain in hiding out of fear of arrest.

The experts specifically invoked the principle of non-refoulement — the international obligation not to return any person to a situation where they face a real risk of persecution, torture, cruel or inhuman treatment, enforced disappearance, or other irreparable harm. Pakistan has not formally responded to these findings.

Scale of the Crisis: Key Numbers

According to information cited by the UN experts, approximately 127,344 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan between 10 July and 27 August 2026. Of these, at least 14,186 were reportedly removed forcibly. Around 38,388 of those crossing the border were women and children — a demographic that the experts highlighted as especially vulnerable. The deportation drive was triggered by a directive from Pakistan's Ministry of Interior issued on 28 June 2026, which instructed provincial authorities to detain and deport Afghan nationals without valid documentation after 10 July.

Afghan Students Also Affected

Beyond the general migrant population, the UN experts also flagged that Pakistani authorities had ordered all medical and dental institutions to remove Afghan students from their programmes. At least 100 Afghan students currently enrolled in Pakistan are reportedly affected, including 20 to 40 women, according to the experts' assessment.

What Happens Next

With the October 31 deadline now passed, deportations are expected to accelerate in the coming weeks. Aid organisations operating at the Torkham crossing have flagged an inadequate reception infrastructure on the Afghan side, leaving returnees — many of whom departed years ago — with few immediate resources. The Taliban administration's capacity and willingness to absorb, document, and support the returning population remains uncertain, raising the risk of compounded displacement within Afghanistan itself.