'Strangers in our own homeland' - Afghan refugees lament forced removal from Pakistan

Record ID: 1987608

  • Title: 'Strangers in our own homeland' - Afghan refugees lament forced removal from Pakistan
  • Date: 1st April 2025
  • Summary: LANDI KOTAL, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN (APRIL 1, 2025) (REUTERS) ⁠ ⁠EXTERIOR OF HOLDING CENTRE FOR REFUGEES, INCLUDING AFGHAN REFUGEES ⁠ BLUE TENTS IN HOLDING CENTRE, REFUGEES WALKING ⁠ ⁠BLUE TENTS ⁠ ⁠VARIOUS OF CONSTRUCTION GOING ON BEHIND BARBED WIRES ⁠ ⁠REFUGEES TALKING AT CAMPSITE ⁠ ⁠(SOUNDBITE) (Pashto) AFGHAN REFUGEE, PAINDA KHAN, SAYING, "This is unfair to us—we
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Afghanistan Pakistan Taliban deportation refugees
  • Location: LANDI KOTAL, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
  • City: LANDI KOTAL, KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA, PAKISTAN
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Asia / Pacific,Crime/Law/Justice
  • Reuters ID: LVA001330301042025RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Afghan refugees in Pakistan who expect to be forced to leave the country have decried the decision by the government of their long-term home, as deportations were due to start on Tuesday (April 1).
    In March, Pakistan’s Interior Ministry reiterated its directive for all "illegal foreigners" and Afghan Citizen Card holders to leave the country by March 31, warning that deportations would commence from April 1.
    The repatriation process was delayed due to the Eid holidays and is expected to commence on the first working day afterward.
    Refugees, who had been relocated to a camp before they were expected to be deported, urged the Pakistan government to reconsider, saying a return to Afghanistan would mean "we will be strangers in our homeland".
    One was also concerned about his access to continuing education in Afghanistan and said his aspirations for the future would be jeopardised.
    Islamabad has previously linked Afghan migrants to security concerns, blaming them for militant attacks and crimes—a claim rejected by Kabul.
    Pakistan launched its repatriation drive for foreign nationals—primarily Afghans—in 2023, initially focusing on those without legal documentation.
    According to U.N. data, more than 800,000 Afghans hold Afghan Citizen Cards in Pakistan, while another 1.3 million are officially registered with the government under the Proof of Residence (PoR) card scheme. The statement did not clarify how PoR holders would be affected.
    Since the repatriation drive began, over 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan, while Pakistan continues to host around 2.8 million Afghan refugees who fled decades of conflict. This includes tens of thousands of Afghans awaiting resettlement in the U.S. and other Western nations following the Taliban's takeover in 2021.
    (Production: Arooba Charakla)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2025. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
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