Pakistan deports 4,000 Afghans in 24 hours as crackdown intensifies post-July 10 deadline
Synopsis
Pakistan deported more than 4,000 Afghans in a single 24-hour window after its July 10 deadline expired — and the crackdown is now sweeping up even those holding valid Afghan Citizen Cards. With 2.59 million already removed since 2023 and the UN warning of persecution, torture, and death for returnees, this is one of the largest forced migration crises unfolding in Asia right now.
Key Takeaways
Pakistan deported more than 4,000 Afghans in a single 24-hour period over the weekend following the July 10 deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave.
Authorities are detaining not only undocumented migrants but also holders of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) and expired visas.
The crackdown spans Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan , and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir .
Nearly 2.59 million Afghan migrants and refugees have been deported since Pakistan launched its repatriation campaign in late 2023 .
The United Nations and international human rights groups have warned that returnees face persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, or reprisals in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Pakistan has sharply escalated its crackdown on Afghan migrants, arresting and deporting thousands after the July 10 government deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country expired. In a 24-hour period over the weekend, more than 4,000 Afghans were deported, according to the Taliban's Secretariat of the High Commission for Addressing Returnees' Issues.
Scope of the Enforcement Drive
The crackdown is now active across all major provinces and territories, including Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, according to reports. Critically, Pakistani authorities are detaining not only undocumented migrants but also Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) or visas that have lapsed — a significant expansion of the original scope.
The Pakistani government has confirmed that holders of ACCs and other temporary documents are also subject to deportation. An Afghan migrant living in Pakistan said that renewing visas had become effectively impossible. 'Visas have effectively been unavailable for about a year,' he said. 'If we are arrested and deported, we all know what the situation is like in Afghanistan. We fear retaliation by the Taliban,' the person identified as Ahmad said in reports.
Scale of Deportations Since 2023
The latest wave is part of a broader repatriation campaign that Pakistan launched in late 2023. Since then, nearly 2.59 million Afghan migrants and refugees have been deported, according to figures cited by Pakistani media. The current enforcement push marks a significant intensification of that effort, with the post-deadline pace of removals drawing international attention.
Widespread anxiety has gripped Afghan communities across Pakistan, according to an Afghan journalist living in the country. Another Afghan journalist underscored the vulnerability of those who fled after the Taliban's return to power in 2021. 'Those who sought refuge in Pakistan after 2021 are refugees, not ordinary migrants,' she said. 'Returning them to Afghanistan could cost them their lives.'
UN and Rights Groups Sound the Alarm
The United Nations and multiple international human rights organisations have warned Pakistan to halt the forced deportations. They caution that many returning Afghans could face persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, or reprisals upon arrival in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The warnings have so far not prompted any pause in the Pakistani enforcement drive.
What Happens Next
With the deadline now passed and enforcement active nationwide, Afghan families in Pakistan face mounting pressure to leave or risk arrest. The situation is likely to draw further scrutiny from international bodies, particularly given the Taliban's documented record of targeting individuals who previously cooperated with foreign governments or civil society. How Pakistan responds to UN pressure — and whether any humanitarian exemptions are carved out — will determine the next phase of this unfolding crisis.
Point of View
Yet it has generated far less global pressure on Islamabad than comparable crises elsewhere. The UN's warnings carry moral weight but no enforcement mechanism, and Pakistan, facing its own economic and security pressures, has shown little sign of pausing. The real accountability gap is this: if returnees face Taliban reprisals, the international community — which largely abandoned Afghanistan after 2021 — bears shared responsibility for the conditions that make deportation a potential death sentence.
NationPress
13 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Pakistan deporting Afghan migrants?
Pakistan set a July 10 deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave voluntarily, and enforcement began immediately after it expired. The government says those without valid visas or documents — including holders of Afghan Citizen Cards — are subject to arrest and deportation as part of a repatriation campaign running since late 2023.
How many Afghans have been deported from Pakistan?
More than 4,000 Afghans were deported in a single 24-hour period over the weekend following the July 10 deadline. Since the broader campaign launched in late 2023, nearly 2.59 million Afghan migrants and refugees have been deported, according to Pakistani media figures.
Are Afghan refugees also being deported, or only undocumented migrants?
Reports indicate that Pakistani authorities are detaining both undocumented migrants and Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards or expired visas. Journalists and migrants on the ground say that many who fled Afghanistan after the Taliban's return to power in 2021 — and who qualify as refugees — are also being swept up in the crackdown.
What risks do deported Afghans face upon return?
The United Nations and international human rights organisations warn that returning Afghans could face persecution, arbitrary detention, torture, or reprisals in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Migrants quoted in reports say they specifically fear Taliban retaliation, and that renewing visas in Pakistan has been effectively impossible for about a year.
What has the international community said about Pakistan's deportations?
The UN and multiple human rights organisations have warned Pakistan to halt forced deportations, citing the danger returnees face under Taliban rule. Despite these warnings, Pakistan has not paused the enforcement drive, which is now active across all major provinces and territories.
