Peshawar – Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) authorities have completed a large-scale operation, dismantling 42 Afghan refugee camps in different districts, some of which had existed for over 54 years.
This was done in two stages, with the closure of five camps, then 37 camps in different districts. According to officials in the provinces, the federal government has been officially informed about the closure.
After the shutdown, the authorities have initiated the procedure of sending back more than 300,000 Afghan refugees. When closing the camp, police and law enforcement agencies were deployed to the regions to provide security and prevent chaos.
Formalizing Residency and Security Management
Officials emphasized that the closure of these long-established camps reflects a policy shift from ad-hoc accommodation to a more structured and regulated system. The primary objectives of the move are administrative, not punitive.
The relocation is meant to legalize the residence of refugees and provide appropriate registration, in addition to seeking to eliminate those who are living illegally in the land. Moreover, government officials observed that these camps, which were created more than 50 years ago, had exceeded their emergency order and presented more and more problems with security control and city administration.
Pakistan insists that its hosting of refugees cannot be kept open-ended, considering security concerns across the border. The ongoing process shifts the handling of refugees into a more organized repatriation procedure and legal frameworks that are in line with international practice regarding long-term residency and documentation.
In the operation, authorities also confirmed that unregistered Afghan refugees were also acted upon to ensure regulatory compliance.
