The deadline for Afghan refugees living illegally in Pakistan has officially ended, initiating the process of repatriating Afghan nationals back to Afghanistan.

Reports indicate that following the expiration of the deadline, the Islamabad police have commenced operations across various districts, detaining numerous Afghan refugees who will be transferred to designated camps for deportation.

On April 1, police conducted operations in areas including Tarnol, Bara Kahu, Ghauri Town, and Rawalpindi’s military colonies, apprehending dozens of Afghan nationals.

Earlier this month, the Ministry of Interior of Pakistan had issued a directive urging Afghan citizen card (ACC) holders to voluntarily leave the country by March 31, with deportation proceedings set to commence on April 1.

To facilitate the repatriation process, two temporary camps have been established for Afghan nationals holding citizen cards in Peshawar and Landi Kotal, while reception and registration camps have been set up near Torkham.

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Illegal residents and Afghan Citizen Card holders ordered to leave Pakistan by March 31

Afghan nationals with citizen cards will undergo biometric verification before being sent back. Approximately 800,000 Afghan citizens across the country possess these citizen cards. In the initial phase of repatriation, nearly 700,000 unregistered Afghans have already returned to their homeland.

As of now, a total of 885,902 illegal Afghan nationals have left Pakistan, with the repatriation process still ongoing.

With the deadline now surpassed, Pakistani authorities have announced that strict legal measures will be enforced against those remaining in the country.

It is crucial to note that the government began repatriating illegally residing foreigners in October 2023, leading to the return of millions of Afghan nationals to Afghanistan.