New Wave of Arrests in Pakistan: Over 800 Afghans Detained in a Week
Pakistani media reported that over the past week, Rawalpindi police have arrested 820 Afghan migrants.
According to these reports, 114 of them have been deported to Afghanistan, while 140 others are being held in a camp due to the closure of the Torkham crossing.
The report states: “Rawalpindi police have arrested approximately 820 Afghan nationals from various areas of the city’s cantonment in the past week, and so far, 114 have been handed over.”
Zahir Bahand, a journalist in Pakistan, told : “Pakistani police have recently been conducting brutal raids, even in the middle of the night, storming homes and arresting Afghan refugees.”
The reports also indicate that although the Pakistani government has set March 31 as the final deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders to leave, the arrest of Afghan migrants—especially those without legal documentation—continues in Rawalpindi and Islamabad.
Fazal Saberi, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, said: “Last night, Islamabad police raided an area and took several refugees with them.”
Mohammad Khan Talebi Mohammadzai, a refugee rights activist, told : “The United Nations must collaborate with the Pakistani government to facilitate solutions and negotiate with the host country on the residency challenges faced by Afghan migrants.”
Previously, the UNHCR reported that more than 2.1 million migrants returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries in 2024. The UN representative for Afghanistan had urged Pakistan and Iran to treat Afghan refugees with dignity.
