Afghans in Pakistan Face Growing Fear of Deportation Amid Chronic Uncertainty

Reports indicate increasing numbers of Afghan families living in Pakistan are facing forced deportations, leading to a state of perpetual fear, particularly as many escape turmoil in their home country. With the Pakistani government enforcing strict repatriation policies, those without valid documentation risk being sent back to a volatile Afghanistan.

Amid escalating tensions and fears of forced deportation, Afghan families residing in Pakistan find themselves trapped in a cycle of anxiety and uncertainty. Ten-year-old “Nabila,” whose father served in the Afghan military, shares the heavy burden of constantly being on alert. Her family has gone months without attending school or having a sense of normalcy, as Pakistani authorities ramp up deportations and the UN estimates over half of the Afghans in the country are undocumented.

In Pakistan’s capital, Islamabad, and nearby Rawalpindi, reports indicate a troubling spike in police raids, arrests, and deportations of Afghan nationals, many of whom cite valid fears of violence if returned to Afghanistan. The UN Refugee Agency has highlighted that a significant portion of those deported come with UN documentation, signifying a precarious stance on asylum and international protection in a country that has largely withheld recognition of Afghans as refugees.

Hamid, a father who once served his country, has seen the hope of a stable life fade as he composes himself under the weight of his role as a protector. “That job has doomed me,” he says, fearing not only criminal repercussions but also the possibility of dire consequences should they be forced to return. His daughter’s dreams of becoming a model—a vision curtailed by the Taliban—belie a heartbreaking fellowship of displaced hopes shared among Afghans in similar situations.

Pakistan has long hosted Afghan refugees, but renewed conflict and cross-border tensions have exacerbated the already charged atmosphere. The government’s “Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan” signifies an acceleration of repatriations, with close to a million individuals returned since its inception in September 2023.

A father named Ahmad, in the throes of a resettlement program halted by the previous US administration, describes the chaos of police raids and the harrowing experience of fleeing with his family. His testimony sheds light on the treatment of those detained; he recounts conditions within the Haji camp as dire, emphasizing the contrast between governmental assurances and the reality faced by detainees.

This grim narrative is echoed by many Afghan families, who, fearing raids and a lack of financial resources, are forced to abandon urban areas for safer locations outside of Islamabad, where basic sustenance remains a struggle. The psychological toll and trauma of such experiences weigh heavily on families, with mothers lamenting the loss of community and children caught between two worlds.

The chorus of those suffering continues to rise, with advocates urging the international community to pay closer attention to the plight of Afghans currently living in Pakistan, who remain vulnerable to deportation amid an uncertain and increasingly hostile environment.