PESHAWAR: As many as 811,661 Afghan citizens have returned to Afghanistan as part of the current second phase of repatriation, confirmed by the Interior Ministry. The figure includes both undocumented aliens and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) and Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders.
According to official data, 1,061 individuals were repatriated alone yesterday, including illegal occupants, PoR card holders, and ACC holders. Of these, 1,059 arrived back from the Torkham border and 2 from the Angoor Adda crossing.
The Interior Department also confirmed that 189,023 Afghan Citizen Card holders had voluntarily repatriated alone from the Torkham border since the repatriation campaign began.
The authorities have promised that the process shall continue in the coming days without a break. The repatriation campaign is a part of Pakistan’s broader immigration management plan and aims to penalize unauthorized stays while streamlining voluntary return.
Last month, the federal government decided to shut down Afghan refugee camps that have been operating for four decades, ordering the closure of five facilities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) as refugees return to Afghanistan.
According to a notification issued by the Ministry of Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan, the land occupied by the camps will be handed over to the provincial government and the respective deputy commissioners.
The five camps slated for closure include three in Haripur, one in Chitral, and one in Upper Dir. Officials said the Panian camp in Haripur alone once sheltered more than 100,000 refugees.
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Pakistan began repatriating undocumented Afghan nationals in October 2023, citing rising crime and terrorism. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif reiterated that Afghan refugees were linked to terrorism in Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
