Islamabad, Pakistan – A significant number of Afghan nationals have continued to leave Pakistan, with over 860,000 individuals having departed the country since September 2023, as reported by local media. This movement coincides with over half a million people crossing into Afghanistan through border points located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province.
The ongoing repatriation efforts by Pakistan entered their second phase on April 1st, following the expiration of the deadline for the voluntary return of Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs). The initial phase of this repatriation program commenced in 2023, with the Pakistani government announcing its intention to send back Afghan individuals residing in the country without legal authorization.
Data released by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) and cited by the Dawn newspaper indicates that a total of 861,763 Afghans have returned to their homeland between September 15, 2023, and April 5, 2025. Official figures further reveal that more than 500,000 individuals exited Pakistan via two key border crossings situated in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Notably, on Friday alone, 4,908 Afghan refugees left the country.
Among those who departed on Friday, approximately 2,475 held ACCs, signifying their legal residency in Pakistan. Of this group, around 2,125 chose to leave voluntarily, while 350 were deported through the Torkham border in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Since the commencement of the second phase of repatriation on April 1st, a total of 16,242 ACC holders have left Pakistan. The data further breaks down this figure, showing that 9,439 departed voluntarily, while 6,803 were deported.
Since September 2023, a substantial 500,040 Afghan nationals have crossed out of Pakistan through the two border crossings located in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to official sources, Afghan refugees were also transported from the regions of Punjab and Islamabad for the purpose of deportation. These individuals were moved to transit camps established in Peshawar and Landi Kotal, where they underwent a registration process before their onward journey back to Afghanistan, the Dawn newspaper reported.
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