Pakistan's Interior Ministry orders arrest of Afghan nationals without valid visas from July 10
Islamabad, June 29
Pakistan's Ministry of Interior has ordered the immediate arrest of any Afghan national found living in the country without a valid visa from July 10, local media reported on Monday.
In an order issued to the Chief Secretaries of all provinces and the Islamabad Capital Territory, the ministry said that the directive has been issued as per the decisions taken during a review meeting on the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan (IFRP) on June 1, the daily Dawn reported.
In the notification, the ministry said that during the meeting, "all provincial governments, special area governments and the ICT Administration were directed to expedite the repatriation/deportation of Afghan nationals, including visa overstay cases, and to ensure strict implementation of the IFRP".
"With effect from July 10, 2026, any Afghan national found residing in Pakistan without a valid visa shall be arrested immediately," it read.
It further said that necessary directives must be issued to all Deputy Commissioners, district administrations, police and other law enforcement agencies to ensure effective implementation of these orders.
The ministry has also ordered to prepare a report which has details about the number of Afghan nationals without valid visas in Pakistan, action taken against them, and their present status as of July 11.
The deportation drive launched by Pakistan in 2023 was renewed in April last year when the government rescinded hundreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans and warned them of arrests if they did not leave.
On May 22, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Turk, warned against the continued forced repatriation of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers from host countries to Afghanistan, calling it a violation of international human rights and refugee law.
"Afghan women, children and men continue to be pushed out of countries where they had sought safety, forcing them to return to Afghanistan against their will and exposing them to grave risk," he said.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 270,000 Afghans have been deported to Afghanistan since the beginning of the year, mainly from Iran and Pakistan, with relatively smaller numbers from Turkey and Tajikistan. This comes in addition to the over 1.2 million Afghan refugees deported from Iran and 150,000 from Pakistan last year.
The UN human rights agency stressed that women and girls, individuals affiliated with the former Afghan government and its security forces, media workers, civil society, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community remain at grave risk of reprisals and human rights abuses.
"Returning individuals at serious risk of human rights violations involuntarily to Afghanistan runs contrary to the core international law principle of non-refoulement. I urge States to abide by their international legal obligations and protect Afghans by not taking any action that exposes them to irreparable harm upon return," Turk said.
— IANS
Reader Comments
This is a humanitarian crisis in the making. Afghans have been living in Pakistan for decades, and suddenly they're being treated like criminals. The UN is right to call this out—refoulement is illegal under international law. Shame on Pakistan. 😔
Honestly, this is Pakistan's internal affair. They have every right to enforce visa rules. But the timing and tone feel harsh—especially when many of these Afghans are refugees fleeing Taliban rule. India should offer asylum to some of them, we have capacity.
This is so sad to read. Afghan women and children are especially vulnerable—Taliban rule means no rights for them. Sending them back is like sending them to a prison. International community must step in. 😪
Pakistan always uses Afghans as a scapegoat for their own internal problems. First they used them as pawns during the Cold War and Afghan conflict, now they want to deport them. Karma is real, but innocent people shouldn't suffer.
I don't see why India just doesn't open its doors. We have land border with Pakistan, but not Afghanistan. Maybe we can use air routes or the Chabahar port in Iran to help resettle some. Better to act than watch this human tragedy.
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