Pakistan is tightening enforcement of its Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan ahead of a 10 July deadline, after which Afghan nationals living in the country without valid visas face immediate arrest under an Interior Ministry directive.
The directive, issued following a 1 June review meeting on the repatriation plan, instructs provincial governments, the Gilgit-Baltistan administration and the Islamabad administration to accelerate the deportation of undocumented Afghan nationals and visa overstayers.
Authorities have also been instructed to submit daily reports from 11 July detailing enforcement measures and the immigration status of those detained.
Pakistan says the measures are intended to enforce immigration laws and address security concerns, alleging that militants involved in attacks inside the country have operated from Afghan territory. The Taliban authorities have consistently rejected the allegations.
Authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, which shares a long border with Afghanistan, say province-wide operations targeting undocumented Afghan nationals will begin on 10 July.
Official sources said more than 14,000 Afghan families returned to Afghanistan between 1 July and 6 July as preparations intensified ahead of the enforcement deadline.
Authorities have also strengthened holding centres and administrative arrangements at several locations to process returnees.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, with hundreds of thousands more arriving after the Taliban returned to power in 2021. The repatriation campaign, launched in October 2023, has been implemented in phases as Islamabad has tightened immigration enforcement.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan include registered Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, visa holders and undocumented migrants, each subject to different legal arrangements. The latest Interior Ministry directive applies to Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas.
According to Pakistani officials, 1,155,221 Afghan nationals were repatriated during 2025.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says nearly 150,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan and Iran by mid-February 2026, bringing the total number of returns from both neighbouring countries since October 2023 to 5.4 million.
UNHCR has called for returns to remain voluntary, safe and dignified, while human rights organisations have expressed concern over forced deportations.
The Trump administration has urged France and Germany to release emergency diesel reserves to ease global fuel prices, warning they could otherwise...
Tennessee death row inmate Christa Pike survived an attempted lethal injection on Wednesday, prompting the governor to suspend executions for the r...
Artificial intelligence (AI) agents attempted to gain unauthorised access to a Canadian government website earlier this year, according to AI...
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the country militarily, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel may participate in the investigation into a serious incident aboard a flydubai flight bound for Tel Aviv, while investigators examine the motive of the co-pilot involved.
Passengers restrained a flydubai co-pilot who allegedly stabbed the pilot and tried to crash a flight from Dubai to Tel Aviv, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday.
North Korea has dismissed as a “farce” Seoul’s claim that Pyongyang was responsible for a landmine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line that injured three South Korean soldiers.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 30 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in Europe.
Passengers from a flydubai flight that was diverted to Saudi Arabia after an alleged attempt to crash the aircraft have arrived safely in Israel.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has ordered an Iranian delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, to leave the United States after negotiations between Washington and Tehran stalled, according to a U.S. official.
Afghanistan says its forces have killed 41 fighters and captured 62 others after several days of fighting in eastern Nuristan, accusing Pakistan’s military of helping armed groups cross into Afghan territory.
Azerbaijan has opened ADEX 2026 and Securex Caspian in Baku, bringing together defence, security and technology representatives from around the world for the three-day exhibitions.
Kazakhstan and Germany have agreed to expand cooperation in critical minerals, industry, energy and transport, with Astana seeking a greater German role in developing supply chains and higher-value production.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment