6/8/2025–|Last update: 03:39 (Mecca time)
The UN Commission for Refugees has expressed concern about the Pakistani authorities’ announcement of its intention to return Afghan refugees with registration cards to their country, as part of a governmental plan to deport “irregular foreigners”.
The Commission confirmed, yesterday, Tuesday, that during the past few days it has received reports of arrest and detention of Afghan refugees across Pakistan, including those holding registration proving cards that have been recognized by refugees for decades.
The Commission said in a statement that it “acknowledges and clouded Pakistan’s generosity in hosting Afghan refugees for more than 40 years despite the challenges,” but stressed that the return of these people “contradicts the humanitarian approach that Pakistan has committed, and it violates the principle of non -forced repetition.”
The Commission expressed a special concern about the fate of women and girls who may be forced to return to a country where their basic rights are violated, along with other groups that still need international protection.
The Commission called on the Pakistani authorities to ensure that any return of the refugees was “voluntary, safe and generous”, noting that it continues its efforts to extend the validity of the registration cards, and welcomed the additional allowance that Pakistan granted a month.
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Exceptional measures
The Commission also appealed to the government of Pakistan to adopt measures that exclude the deportation of Afghans who need medical care, or to follow up high education, or have family links from mixed marriage, confirming its willingness to support the government in establishing mechanisms that guarantee this.
She explained that the return of large numbers of refugees this year imposed tremendous pressure on basic services, housing and livelihoods in Afghanistan, which exacerbated the already worsening humanitarian crisis, warning that mass and hasty return operations may lead to destabilization in the country and the region.
According to UNHCR data, more than 2.1 million Afghan has returned or forcibly returned to their country since the beginning of 2025, including about 352,000 from Pakistan.
Press reports reported that the Afghan Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Makti, announced an upcoming official visit to Islamabad, at a time when Pakistan announced the expiration of the validity of the temporary residence cards “Por” for about 1.45 million Afghan refugees.
The visit, which carries extreme diplomatic and humanitarian dimensions, comes with the aim of opening dialogue channels with senior Pakistani officials to discuss ways to settle the refugee crisis, stop the “collective expulsion, and secure a decent return to the returnees.”
