Painted as 'terrorists & criminals': Afghan refugees expelled from Pakistan; despite weekend's deadly earthquake

Thousands of Afghan refugees with official registration documents are being forced out of Pakistan, even as their homeland reels from a devastating earthquake that killed more than 1,400 people last weekend.

AFP reported. quoting officials that the returns have sharply escalated in recent days, with families crossing the border in fear of arrest and harassment.


Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over four decades, from those fleeing the Soviet invasion in the 1980s to those escaping after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover.

While many Afghans built lives in Pakistan, gaining access to work and education, others were born and raised there or were waiting to be resettled in the West.

However, Islamabad has tightened its stance, blaming Afghan refugees for a surge in violence and militancy. Earlier in 2023, the government launched a sweeping crackdown, branding Afghans as “terrorists and criminals” and ordering mass expulsions.

Since then, more than 1.2 million Afghans have been sent back, including 443,000 this year alone, according to UN figures, the agency reported.

The latest phase of the campaign is targeting some 1.3 million Afghans holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards issued by the UN refugee agency. They were given until September 1 to leave voluntarily or face detention and deportation.

In the weeks leading up to the deadline, Afghan families reported police raids, extortion and harassment, prompting many to flee in convoys toward the border.

UNHCR data shows a sharp increase in August, with 25,490 Afghans returning between August 24 and 30, more than half of them PoR holders.

"Police used to detain us repeatedly. They seized our belongings," said Khan Wali, an Afghan returnee who fled Lahore, speaking from the Spin Boldak border crossing. Others reported a slightly easier situation in opposition-held Peshawar, though they said “people are facing hell” in Islamabad.

The forced returns coincide with Afghanistan’s recovery from a 6.0-magnitude quake that destroyed entire villages, including areas where many of the newly returned migrants had settled.

Analysts believe Pakistan’s expulsions are aimed at pressuring the Taliban administration in Kabul, which Islamabad accuses of allowing insurgents to stage cross-border attacks. The Taliban, however, has rejected those claims.