ISLAMABAD: Afghan refugees have emerged as a growing security and migration challenge for multiple host countries, with authorities in Türkiye, Germany, Iran and Pakistan arresting thousands of Afghan nationals in recent months as part of intensified crackdowns on illegal residency and related offences.
Turkiye has intensified its efforts to curb illegal migration, with Afghan refugees emerging as the largest group targeted in the crackdown.
Following similar measures in Germany and Iran, Turkish authorities have launched a fresh wave of arrests and deportations in recent weeks.
According to a report by the Afghan journal ‘Afghanistan International’, 14 more illegal Afghan refugees were recently detained in the city of Şanlıurfa.
In the same operation, three individuals facilitating the illegal transport of refugees were also arrested and sent to jail.
The detained refugees were reportedly attempting to travel illegally by hiding in a truck and were promptly transferred to a deportation center.
Earlier this month, on January 3, Turkish authorities arrested 32 illegal Afghan refugees in Diyarbakır, followed by 18 more arrests on January 10 in Tokat and Bolu, highlighting the scale of the ongoing operations.
The Turkish Migration Agency has released updated figures showing Afghan nationals as the largest group among illegal migrants in the country. Over the past year, authorities arrested a total of 152,000 illegal migrants, including 42,000 Afghans.
Experts note that the situation shows no signs of easing. The Taliban government in Afghanistan has not initiated any campaigns to address the underlying causes of migration, leaving the challenges for host countries unresolved.
Analysts warn that without effective policy measures, security and migration pressures in Türkiye and other host countries are likely to persist.
Between September 2025 and January 2026, over 130,000 Afghan nationals were detained in Pakistan as part of enforcement of immigration laws.
Police have been conducting raids and arrests across provinces including Balochistan, Islamabad, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Punjab, and Sindh.
Local police in cities like Rawalpindi and Islamabad have also arrested Afghan migrants accused of criminal activity and undocumented stay.
Iran hosts millions of Afghan refugees, many for decades. There have been reports of arrests of Afghan refugees, especially in provinces like Lorestan, where authorities claimed to detain Afghans for alleged job-related and criminal concerns.
Iranian authorities have also increased deportations and pressure on unregistered Afghan migrants.
Germany has also arrested Afghan refugees for illegal stay and some for involvement in criminal cases as part of broader migration enforcement, as cited in recent reporting.
In the United Kingdom, Afghan nationals have been arrested and prosecuted for serious crimes, including cases involving trafficking and exploitation.
For example, Afghan gang members involved in sexual abuse and trafficking were convicted and extradited from the UK.
The United States arrested and detained Afghan nationals found in violation of immigration laws or suspected of serious criminal offenses.
A recent case involved an Afghan national arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for a violent crime tied to family violence.
