Over one lakh Afghan nationals left Pakistan since September 17: Officials

A significant number of Afghan nationals have left Pakistan through the Torkham border, raising the total of repatriated Afghans to over 174,350, as reported by Pakistan-based Dawn, citing border officials. The exodus began after the Pakistani government set a deadline for all unregistered foreign nationals to leave the country by October 31, under the threat of legal action.

According to officials, since September 17, a total of 174,358 Afghan nationals have voluntarily repatriated to Afghanistan. However, the number of individuals opting for voluntary repatriation is declining with each passing day. An official involved in the process of voluntary repatriation mentioned, “There was a huge number of illegal immigrants at the border crossing soon after the deadline expired. It is now coming down.”

On Sunday, official data indicated that 6,584 Afghans, including women and children, departed from Pakistan. The day before, 209 deportees from various prisons across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab, along with 46,936 men, 35,507 women, and 85,331 children, were sent back to Afghanistan.

The trend continued in the days leading up to Sunday, with a significant number of Afghan nationals returning to their homeland, both through voluntary repatriation and deportation. In addition to voluntary repatriation, Afghan nationals imprisoned for involvement in minor crimes were also being deported. More than 500 prisoners from various regions of Pakistan were deported between November 1 and 4.

Pakistan’s caretaker Information Minister, Jan Achakzai, reported that over 54,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan thus far. The government has assured Afghan families that it will cover all expenses for their repatriation to encourage them to leave Pakistan.

However, some illegal Afghan nationals in Nowshera were willing to return but lacked the resources to do so. In response, the district administration and police met with these families and assured them that the government would cover all expenses for their repatriation. They even facilitated transportation for 21 families, covering the rent for the vehicles used.

The repatriation of Afghan refugees has sparked criticism from political leaders and social activists. Mahmood Khan Achakzai, Chairman of the Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP), has called it a “matter of international humanitarian concern” and has criticized the Pakistani government’s policy as a violation of international conventions and Pakistan’s naturalization laws. He expressed concerns about the blanket restrictions on cross-border movement, especially among Pakhtuns living near the border, which could lead to significant discontent.