Over 100 Afghan Migrants Arrested in Pakistan Amid Ongoing Deportations

Despite the holy month of Ramadan, the arrest and house-to-house inspections of Afghan migrants in Pakistan continue.

Pakistani media, citing official sources, recently reported that in joint security operations conducted in five areas of the country, including Islamabad, more than 100 Afghan nationals lacking legal documentation were arrested.

According to these reports, the operations were carried out with the participation of police and intelligence agencies.

Pakistan has insisted that the process of document verification and legal action against undocumented migrants will continue, while those holding valid residence permits will not face problems.

Part of the Pakistani media report stated: “In an operation conducted by Pakistan’s security institutions, more than 100 Afghan nationals without legal residence and several suspicious individuals were detained in five areas, including Islamabad. More than 2,000 personnel from the police, Rangers, counterterrorism department, and intelligence agencies participated in the operation.”

Malik Awal Shinwari, an Afghan migrant in Pakistan, said: “The government has deported hundreds of thousands of migrants, and the deportation process is still ongoing.”

At the same time, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation reports that more than 165,000 individuals have returned to the country from Pakistan, Iran, and Türkiye.

The ministry’s spokesperson said that among them, more than 670 individuals were released from prisons in Pakistan and transferred back to Afghanistan.

Abdul Muttalib Haqqani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, added: “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has provided returning migrants with food, clothing, healthcare services, SIM cards, and in addition, more than 184 million afghanis in cash assistance.”

Meanwhile, the spokesperson for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), in an interview , called on Pakistan and Iran to facilitate the safe and dignified return of Afghan nationals in light of the large-scale returns.

Charlie Goodlake emphasized that returns should be gradual to ensure Afghanistan has the capacity to absorb returnees and that the United Nations has the ability to provide assistance.

“Our message to governments has been consistent. It’s been that Afghans, if they have to return to Afghanistan, should be able to do so in a voluntary, safe, dignified, and respectful manner. Also, the return should be gradual so that Afghanistan has the ability to be able to absorb people, and we have the capacity as the UN and humanitarian agencies to be able to assist them and support them on this side of the border,” he said.

Earlier, UNHCR, in a joint report with the International Organization for Migration (IOM), stated that more than 130,000 Afghan migrants were arrested in Pakistan in less than five months of 2025 and subsequently deported to Afghanistan.