The Impressive TimesPakistan has detained more than 100,000 Afghan nationals this year, marking the highest recorded arrests of Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghans, according to a new UNHCR assessment cited by Dawn. The report, released Friday, shows a dramatic escalation in arrest and detention operations across the country.
Between January 1 and November 8, 2025, a total of 100,971 Afghans were arrested—an exponential increase compared to 9,006 arrests in 2024 and 26,299 in 2023. Before 2023, no official data existed on arrests of ACC holders or undocumented Afghans, but monitoring has since been taken over by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM).
From November 2 to November 8 alone, Pakistan detained 13,380 Afghans, a 72% rise from the previous week. Of these, 76% were undocumented individuals or ACC holders, while 24% held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards.
The districts recording the highest number of arrests include:
Chagai (Balochistan)
Quetta (Balochistan)
Attock (Punjab)
During this period, Balochistan accounted for 41% of all arrests, while Punjab accounted for 43%.
The UNHCR’s cumulative data shows that from September 15, 2023 to November 8, 2025, a staggering 1,723,481 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan.
Between November 2 and November 8, 55,768 Afghans crossed back through the Torkham, Chaman, Ghulam Khan, Badini, and Bahramcha border points—a 49% rise in returns compared to the previous week. Deportations increased by 75%.
The reopening of the Torkham border on November 1 significantly intensified return flows.
Among those returning during the week:
48% were PoR card holders
43% were undocumented Afghans
9% were ACC holders
Deportations were overwhelmingly of undocumented Afghans (84%).
The primary motivator for leaving Pakistan remained fear of arrest:
93% of undocumented Afghans and ACC holders
47% of PoR card holders
Most returnees departed from Quetta (20%), Attock (13%), and Islamabad (9%), heading towards Kunduz (19%), Nangarhar (18%), and Kabul (17%) in Afghanistan.
Pakistan issued several directives in 2025 impacting Afghan nationals:
January: Orders for Afghan nationals to vacate Islamabad and Rawalpindi or face deportation
April: Implementation of Phase Two of the “IFRP,” targeting undocumented Afghans and ACC holders
July: Expiry of PoR card validity on June 30; SRO mandating PoR holder repatriation
September 1: Deadline for PoR card holders to leave Pakistan
In Balochistan’s Nokundi, police arrested over 434 Afghan nationals during operations. A raid in Killi Burhanabad uncovered around 200 Afghans, while a later sweep detained 234 more. All detainees were transferred to Girdi Jungle Refugee Camp for deportation proceedings.
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