Torkham Sees Fresh Wave of Deportations as Deadline for Voluntary Return Ends

Pakistan’s deportation drive targeting undocumented Afghan nationals has intensified, with 777 Afghan citizens expelled via the Torkham border on Saturday April 5, 2025, alone. The latest figures reflect an uptick in repatriations as authorities tighten enforcement following the expiration of the voluntary return deadline last year.

The Ministry of Interior had set November 1, 2023 as the cut-off date for undocumented foreigners—most of them Afghan nationals—to leave the country voluntarily. Since then, enforcement agencies have launched a nationwide operation to detain and deport those remaining illegally.

According to official immigration data, from September 17, 2023, to April 5, 2025, a total of 71,438 Afghan families, comprising 476,159 individuals, have been repatriated to Afghanistan—both voluntarily and through state-managed deportations.

Saturday’s deportations were carried out through the Torkham crossing, one of the busiest transit points along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. The individuals deported had been residing in various districts across Punjab and Islamabad. These included 129 people from Islamabad, 143 from Faisalabad, 150 from Sargodha, 86 from Sheikhupura, 68 from Hafizabad, 54 from Rahim Yar Khan, 52 from Narowal, 48 from Multan, and 47 from Bahawalpur. Immigration authorities confirmed that all deportees were found to be residing without valid documentation and were transported under security escort to the Torkham border.

The repatriation process is overseen by the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and local district administrations, with coordination from the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial authorities and Torkham immigration staff.

Ground Operations in Khyber

In Khyber district’s Landi Kotal subdivision, local authorities have escalated action against undocumented Afghans. Assistant Commissioner Adnan Mumtaz formally ordered the eviction of illegal residents from the region. A field visit was carried out by AC Mumtaz, Tehsildar Malik Taimoor Afridi, and Additional SHO Saeed Afridi to the Jamia Farooqia Sheikhmal Khel seminary, where they engaged with local clerics and community elders, including Maulana Shoaib Qadri.

Officials urged undocumented Afghans to leave Pakistan through legal crossings, warning that failure to comply would result in “strict legal consequences.”

Authorities emphasized that the government is no longer accommodating extensions or leniency, citing national security concerns and pressure on local infrastructure as key drivers behind the crackdown.

Regional Repercussions and Humanitarian Lens

The deportation policy has sparked debate both domestically and internationally, particularly regarding the treatment of long-term Afghan refugees, some of whom were born and raised in Pakistan and lack formal documentation in either country. While many Afghans have returned voluntarily—especially after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021—rights groups have called for better safeguards and humanitarian protocols.

The government, however, maintains that its focus is solely on illegal residents and that registered Afghan refugees, residing under the supervision of UNHCR and holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards or Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs), are not being targeted under this operation.

As deportations continue, the situation at Torkham, a key border node between Pakistan’s Khyber district and Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province, remains tense yet functional. Officials anticipate more deportations in the coming weeks, as the list of undocumented residents is cross-verified and processed through law enforcement and immigration channels.