Nearly 140,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have been deported to Afghanistan from Pakistan's Punjab province as part of an intensifying crackdown on foreign nationals without legal residency documents, according to provincial authorities. The figure underscores the scale of Pakistan's ongoing expulsion drive, which has now spanned over two years.

Key Figures from Punjab's Home Department

Punjab's Home Department confirmed that 139,902 Afghan nationals were arrested and subsequently deported to Afghanistan after completing legal formalities. An additional 248 Afghan migrants remain held across 39 detention centres and are expected to be deported via the Torkham border crossing once administrative procedures are finalised, according to reports citing Khaama Press, an Afghanistan-based news outlet.

Pakistan has stated that it has deported approximately 2.66 million undocumented Afghan migrants to Afghanistan over the past three years — a figure that places the current Punjab deportations within a much larger, sustained federal effort.

Crackdown Spreads to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

In July, police in Charsadda city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa detained 40 undocumented Afghan nationals during the ongoing drive against illegal foreign citizens. Charsadda Deputy Commissioner Azmatullah Wazir confirmed that the detainees were transferred from the city police station to a holding centre in Peshawar, pending deportation through the Torkham crossing.

District Police Officer (DPO) Rifatullah Khan said the cumulative number of undocumented Afghan nationals shifted from Charsadda to the Peshawar holding centre had reached 133. Officials stated the action was taken in line with the federal government's policy on foreign nationals residing in Pakistan without valid documentation.

Policy Timeline and Legal Basis

On 28 June, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior ordered the immediate arrest of any Afghan national found in the country without a valid visa from 10 July onwards. The deportation initiative was originally launched in 2023 and was renewed in April last year, when the government rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits issued to Afghans and warned of arrests for those who did not leave voluntarily.

Reports indicate that Afghan migrants in Pakistan have faced growing difficulties renewing visas and maintaining legal status in recent weeks, further accelerating departures — both forced and voluntary.

Broader Context and Humanitarian Concerns

This comes amid longstanding international concern over the conditions awaiting deported Afghans upon return, particularly given the humanitarian situation inside Afghanistan. Critics and rights groups have repeatedly flagged that mass deportations of this scale risk pushing vulnerable populations — including women, children, and former government employees — into precarious circumstances. The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has previously urged Pakistan to ensure deportations comply with international protection standards, though no fresh statement on the Punjab figures was immediately available.

With the federal deadline now in effect and provincial administrations coordinating with law enforcement, the pace of deportations is expected to remain elevated in the weeks ahead.