UN: 517 Afghan Migrants Arrested in Pakistan in One Week

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) have reported that 517 Afghan migrants were arrested and detained by Pakistani police in one week.

According to their latest joint report, the figure represents a 47% decrease compared with the previous week.

The report states that nearly 2.744 million Afghan nationals returned to Afghanistan or were deported from Pakistan between September 15, 2023, and October 17, 2026.

The joint report by IOM and UNHCR states: “From October 11 to 17, a total of 517 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained, representing a 47% decrease compared with the previous week, October 4 to 10. During the reporting period, approximately 56% of all recorded arrests and detentions took place in Balochistan, 34% in Punjab, and 10% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

The two organizations say that the arrest and return of Afghan migrants are continuing, while the large number of returnees has increased pressure on Afghanistan’s humanitarian situation and the need for assistance.

Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Pakistan are calling on organizations supporting refugees and international governments to assist with their resettlement.

Zahir Bahand, an Afghan journalist in Pakistan, said: “All the rights of Afghan migrants in Pakistan have been violated. Migrants are being denied rental housing and are forced to live without shelter.”

Abdul Raziq Adil, a migrant rights activist, said: “The responsibility of countries around the world toward Afghan migrants in Pakistan is a shared legal and moral obligation, because resolving this crisis is beyond the capacity of any single country.”

On Friday, the Embassy of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Pakistan reported that nearly 3,700 Afghan migrants had been released from Pakistani prisons and returned to Afghanistan over the past year.