Pakistan has announced the formal repatriation and deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, starting September 1, according to Dawn. This follows the Interior Ministry’s July 31 declaration that PoR cardholders, previously legal residents, became unlawful after their cards expired on June 30.

The government’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), launched in 2023, has already repatriated about 800,000 Afghans. A letter dated August 4 from the Interior Ministry to provincial authorities and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir outlined the next phase, stating, “Voluntary return of PoR cardholders shall commence forthwith, while formal repatriation and deportation will take effect from September 1, 2025.” The repatriation of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders will also continue.

The ministry instructed provincial governments to map PoR cardholders, establish transit areas, and arrange transportation and financial logistics. The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) will handle deregistration at transit points, with the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) facilitating border crossings. Over half of the 1.3 million Afghan refugees reside in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with others in Balochistan, Punjab, Sindh, and Islamabad, per UNHCR data.

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The UNHCR expressed concern, reporting arrests and detentions of Afghans, including PoR cardholders, and urged Pakistan to halt forced returns, citing a violation of the non-refoulement principle. Despite acknowledging Pakistan’s decades-long hospitality, the agency emphasized the humanitarian risks of deporting recognized refugees to Afghanistan.

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