PESHAWAR: Following the expiration of the voluntary repatriation deadline for illegal and unregistered foreigners on October 31, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has initiated a crackdown and identified 51,044 illegal and unregistered foreigners in various districts of the province.
Official data indicates that among these illegally residing foreigners, over 24,000 are adults and more than 25,000 are children.
Illegal Foreigners in Peshawar
Peshawar had the highest number of illegal foreigners, with 22,752 identified, including 5,826 men, 5,800 women, and 11,000 children residing in different areas of the provincial capital.
In addition, 7,185 illegal foreigners were identified in Nowshera, 5,173 in Khyber, 2,700 in Mansehra, 2,500 in Haripur, 1,900 in Mardan, 1,500 in Kohat, 1,157 in Charsadda, 961 in Hangu,11 in DI Khan, 146 in Karak, 207 in Malakand, 363 in Bannu,171 in Tank, seven in Swat, 145 in Abbottabad, 95 in Kurram, 91 in Lower Chitral, 30 in Lakki Marwat, and 27 in Bajaur, as per the official data.
Meanwhile, the Home and Tribal Affairs department reported that 129,218 Afghans from 7,195 families have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan.
It was mentioned that 128,629 unregistered Afghans, including 34,639 men, 25,710 women, and 68,280 children, returned through the Torkham border.
Additionally, 589 Afghans, including 133 men, 148 women, and 317 children, voluntarily returned through the Angur Ada border point.
The repatriation process began on October 6, 2023, with October 31 serving as the voluntary repatriation deadline. The return of Afghans is being carried out after verifying their documents.
The Home Department also disclosed that a temporary camp has been established in Landi Kotal, and holding areas have been arranged in various districts to facilitate the return of illegal foreigners, including Afghans.
