KEY POINTS
- Thousands of Afghan refugees are leaving Pakistan under a new repatriation drive.
- Many have lived in Pakistan for over four decades.
- Around 1.4 million Afghans live illegally in Pakistan without documents.
- Over 610,000 undocumented Afghans have already been sent back this year.
- Younger Afghans fear returning to a country they never knew.
- Afghan women worry about losing access to education and healthcare.
- Traders say their forced exit will also hurt Pakistan’s local economy.
- Cross-border marriages face legal uncertainty and slow citizenship processes.
- Islamabad’s trust in the Taliban has eroded after rising terror attacks.
PESHAWAR, Pakistan: On a sweltering afternoon on September 17, five trucks brimming with people and their belongings lined Peshawar’s Ring Road, Afghan flags fluttering atop — silent witnesses to a generation of refugees finally heading home.
With heavy hearts and tearful eyes, Afghan refugees who have spent decades in Pakistan are heading towards their homeland. For many, this land had become their only home after they escaped war and violence in Afghanistan in the early 1980s.
“We built our lives here, raised children and opened businesses both small and large. But now under the new repatriation drive, thousands are being sent back,” said Abdullah Jan, whose truck stood ready for Afghanistan.
“It is a very hard time for us. We’ve lived here for 40 years. Our children grew up here and now our businesses have shuttered. Now we are leaving with a heavy heart,” added Abdullah Jan, a 58-year-old shopkeeper from Jalala village — 20 kilometres north of Mardan, the second largest city of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Pakistan tightens border policy
In April 2023, Pakistan announced that all undocumented migrants, most of them Afghans, must leave by November 1 or face arrest and deportation.
“We built our lives here, raised children and opened businesses both small and large. But now under the new repatriation drive, thousands are being sent back.” –Abdullah Jan
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), Afghan repatriation from Pakistan has been ongoing since 2002. From 2002 to 2024, about 4.45 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan. In 2024 alone, around 25,600 people crossed the border.
In 2025, the third round of mass repatriation began. At the same time, authorities launched a crackdown on those without legal papers.
Reports say nearly 1.4 million Afghan refugees are living illegally in Pakistan without registration or documents. About 1.36 million refugees are registered under different categories, including Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders and Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders.
UNHCR data till August 2025 shows that the number of registered refugees in different regions includes 699,699 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, 313,784 in Balochistan, 161,652 in Punjab, 72,349 in Sindh, 30,277 in Islamabad, and 4,285 in Azad Jammu & Kashmir.
“We know nothing about Afghanistan. We studied in schools here. Our friends are here. Now we are going to a place we only heard about from our parents.” – A teenage Afghan girl
The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Home and Tribal Affairs Department said around 610,000 illegal Afghan refugees have already been sent back this year. In addition, 39,000 ACC-holders and 104,000 PoR cardholders were also repatriated. In August and September 2025, the number of Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan was around 143,200 and 165,600, respectively.
A generation displaced again
For many families, the sudden return is like being torn from the nest. The younger generation never saw Afghanistan. Their memories, friends, and schools are all in Pakistan.
“We know nothing about Afghanistan. We studied in schools here. Our friends are here. Now we are going to a place we only heard about from our parents,” said Safiya, a 12-year-old student from Mardan. She stood with her family beside the loaded truck on Peshawar’s Ring Road.
Her father, Mumtaz Ali, worked as a daily wage labourer in Mardan city. “We lived with respect here. Now everything is uncertain. We do not know if our children will find schools or not,” he said.
Women refugees, many of whom raised children in Pakistan, also shared their grief. “I came here as a young bride. I gave birth to my children here. For me, this country became home. Leaving it feels like losing a part of myself,” says Shaheen, a 57-year-old woman from Haripur.
She added that Afghan women face more challenges back home, especially in access to education and healthcare. “Here at least my daughters could study. I fear what will happen when we return,” she said.
Economic fallout unfolds
The Afghan business community is similarly left in the lurch. Many had opened shops, worked in markets and became part of the economy.
“I came here as a young bride. I gave birth to my children here. For me, this country became home. Leaving it feels like losing a part of myself.” – Shaheen, repatriating Afghan woman
“We invested our life savings in our shops. Suddenly, everything is gone. Many shops have shuttered because we are being pushed out. Years of effort have gone down the drain,” said Rahatullah, an Afghan trader in Haripur.
He added that many Afghan businessmen also gave jobs to locals. “Our departure will hurt the economy too. This is not only our loss but also Pakistan’s,” he said.
Riaz Shinwari, a Pakistani businessman, said Afghan traders and workers have been part of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s markets for decades.
“Afghan nationals run many shops in Board Bazaar, Karkhano [Peshawar] and other trade centres. Their departure will hurt local business, jobs and even tax collection,” he said.
Trade bodies in Quetta and Peshawar also warned that the loss of Afghan traders will slow cross-border trade and reduce customs revenue.
Cross-border marriages in limbo
Many Afghan men and women are married to Pakistanis but still face legal uncertainty. Saifullah Mohib Kakakhel, a lawyer based in Peshawar, said that according to Pakistani law, an Afghan woman married to a Pakistani man can apply for citizenship and a national identity card.
“However, Afghan men married to Pakistani women are not eligible under the current law. The Federal Shariat Court ruled that both men and women should have equal rights in this matter, but the decision has been challenged in the Supreme Court,” he said.
National Database Registration Authority (NADRA) Assistant Director (Legal) Shahid Imran said under Section 10(2) of the Pakistan Citizenship Act 1951, a foreign woman married to a Pakistani man can apply for a Pakistani identity card, but her rights remain limited compared to other citizens. “For example, she cannot vote or travel on a Pakistani passport,” he said.
Kakakhel added that even when courts issue orders in favour of Afghan spouses, they still face delays and security checks before receiving nationality. “Even after clear court orders, families wait for years because of security vetting and missing documents.”
“We invested our life savings in our shops. Suddenly, everything is gone. Many shops have shuttered because we are being pushed out. Years of effort have gone down the drain.” – Rahatullah, an Afghan trader
Authorities justify the repatriation mainly on security grounds. A senior police official, who requested anonymity, as he is not authorised to speak to the media, said only illegal refugees are being sent back. “Those without documents cannot stay. We are following the law,” he said.
Strained ties with Kabul
Rehmat Shah Mohmand, a retired officer from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Tribal and Home Affairs Department, said while some Afghan individuals have been linked to crimes or extremist groups, the majority live peacefully. “It is wrong to tar all Afghans with the same brush.”
He fears that sudden mass returns can harm relations with Kabul, especially when Pakistan needs Afghanistan’s full help against the militants who fled to Afghanistan.
Several refugee camps in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Punjab have been de-notified or closed under the new plan. Reports suggest that at least 16 camps have been affected.
UNHCR Spokesperson Qaisar Afridi said, “Returning should be voluntary, safe and dignified. Forced repatriation puts families at risk.”
Leaving with broken dreams
For students, the repatriation has ripped dreams to shreds. Many were enrolled in Pakistani schools and colleges. Some were preparing for university entrance.
“I wanted to become a doctor. I worked hard. Now I do not know if I can continue my studies in Afghanistan,” said Fareedon, a 17-year-old student from Haripur.
Education experts say Pakistan could benefit economically by allowing Afghan students to study here. “By offering education to Afghan students, Pakistan can build soft ties and earn foreign exchange through university fees,” said an analyst Muhammad Zafar Iqbal.
Why Pakistan hardened
For decades, Pakistan refrained from adopting a policy of forced repatriation, even during the anti-Pakistan regimes of Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani.
When Kabul fell to the Taliban in August 2021 — a group long perceived to have a soft corner for Islamabad — many in Pakistan expected a friendlier, more cooperative government across the border.
Instead, what followed was an unprecedented wave of terror attacks carried out from Afghan soil, leaving Pakistan deeply disillusioned.
This breach of trust has now hardened Islamabad’s stance, shaping its current uncompromising repatriation drive as both a security imperative and political message.
Despite repeated requests from Islamabad, the Afghan Taliban has shown limited willingness, if any, to curb the activities of Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants.
In a recent statement, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said that since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in August 2021, as many as 3,844 Pakistanis — including civilians, military personnel, and law enforcement officials — have been martyred, while 10,347 incidents of terrorism have taken place in Pakistan.
“Those who were once given refuge by Pakistan are now sitting in India’s lap and plotting against Pakistan,” he said, and hastened to add that Pakistan can no longer afford to maintain relations with Kabul as in the past.
The continued repatriation of Afghan refugees serves as a reminder of the complex interplay between security concerns and humanitarian obligations.
