ISLAMABAD/KABUL — Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on undocumented Afghan migrants, launching a nationwide operation to identify and deport Afghans holding illegal Pakistani IDs, with an April 30 deadline for voluntary departures.
Authorities in Peshawar have summoned officials from 15 local councils to review suspect documents, while legal action is being warned against Pakistanis sheltering or employing illegal foreigners.
Since the beginning of April, nearly 85,000 Afghans have been deported, contributing to a total of over 907,000 returnees.
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Meanwhile, the Taliban administration reports that nearly 800 Afghan families returned from Pakistan and Iran in just the past day, entering through major crossings including Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Islam Qala.
As deportations accelerate, concerns grow over Afghanistan’s capacity to absorb the influx. UNICEF reports that about 600,000 migrants have returned since September 2024 — two-thirds of them children — posing a major challenge for the country’s strained infrastructure and humanitarian services.
