In recent months, Pakistan has intensified efforts to send hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees back to their home country, raising humanitarian concerns that require immediate attention. According to official figures, over 800,000 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan since the government launched the repatriation initiative in late 2023. While Pakistan cites national security and economic strain as the reasons for this action, the consequences for the Afghan people, particularly women, children, and those who fled the Taliban regime, are dire.

This policy, if left unchecked, threatens to transform a refugee management issue into a full-blown humanitarian crisis. The world must not disregard the stories of the thousands of Afghans who sought refuge in Pakistan from war, persecution, and gender apartheid, and are now being compelled to return to a nation where their futures remain uncertain and, in many instances, perilous.

A Home That’s No Longer Safe

The Taliban's return to power in August 2021 marked the beginning of a new era of fear in Afghanistan. For many Afghans who had worked in the previous government, international organizations, or the media, the threat to their lives became immediate and very real. Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International have documented numerous cases of extrajudicial killings, forced disappearances, and arbitrary detentions of those affiliated with the former regime.

Returning such individuals to Afghanistan is not only irresponsible but also dangerous. Many of them are at risk of persecution simply for having served their country during its previous democratic era. By forcibly deporting them, Pakistan may be violating the principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of international refugee law, which prohibits the return of individuals to places where they face serious threats to their life or freedom.

The Struggle of Afghan Women: A Return to Darkness

Perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of this mass expulsion is the fate that awaits Afghan women, especially those who found refuge, education, and opportunities in Pakistan. In Afghanistan today, the Taliban has effectively erased women from public life. Girls beyond sixth grade are banned from attending school, women are barred from universities, and many are no longer allowed to work or even travel without a male guardian.

In contrast, Pakistan, despite its own challenges, has offered Afghan women the chance to pursue education and independence. Over the years, thousands of Afghan girls and women have enrolled in Pakistani schools, colleges, and universities. Their dreams are now at stake.

Imagine a young Afghan girl studying medicine at a university in Islamabad. With the stroke of a government order, she is forced to pack up her life and return to a country where even stepping inside a school is illegal. Her future, once bright with possibility, goes dark.

This is not hypothetical. It is happening right now.

Families Torn Across Borders

Another troubling dimension of Pakistan’s deportation drive is its disregard for cross-border family ties. Over the decades, many Afghan refugees have married Pakistani citizens. These marriages have produced thousands of children who are either stateless or torn between two countries. The forced return of Afghan spouses separates families, disrupts the lives of children, and creates a legal grey zone that could take years to resolve. These are not just statistics. These are human beings whose lives are being fractured. Legally, this raises numerous issues. Pakistani citizens who have married Afghans are now being forced to choose between staying with their families or complying with the state’s directives. Moreover, many Afghan nationals who have lived in Pakistan for decades never formalised their citizenship due to bureaucratic red tape. Treating them as illegal aliens now is not only unjust but contrary to the very principles of fairness and humanity.

The Numbers Paint a Stark Picture

Let’s talk numbers. According to Pakistan’s government, the country has approximately 3.7 million Afghans, including 1.45 million registered refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, about 840,000 Afghan Citizen Card holders, and over 1 million undocumented Afghans. While Pakistan recently extended the validity of PoR cards till June 2025, allowing those holders to remain legally in the country, the mass deportations mostly target the undocumented population. However, many of these “undocumented” individuals have been in Pakistan for decades. Some were born here, educated here, and have never even seen Afghanistan.The deportation drive has already caused immense hardship. Afghan refugee camps are overflowing. UNHCR and IOM have reported dire conditions at border crossings, where returnees are often left without food, shelter, or basic medical aid. Many refugees are crossing into a country they no longer recognise and one that is ill-equipped to absorb them.

Pakistan’s Perspective and the Need for Balance

Pakistan’s concerns are not unfounded. Hosting millions of refugees significantly strains a developing country’s economy, infrastructure, and social services. In recent years, rising inflation, security concerns, and political instability have added to the burden.

Islamabad argues that undocumented migrants pose a national security threat, particularly amid allegations that some Afghan nationals have been involved in criminal or militant activities. While security cannot be compromised, the solution must be nuanced. A blanket deportation policy ignores the complex realities of Afghan migration. Not all Afghans are undocumented by choice. Many lost their legal status due to expired documents, paperwork, or bureaucratic hurdles. Lumping together innocent refugees with security threats does a disservice to both justice and humanity.

What Can Be Done?

First, Pakistan must halt the indiscriminate deportations and re-evaluate its policy through a humanitarian lens. A one-size-fits-all approach is both unethical and impractical. Instead, Pakistan should provide an amnesty or registration window for long-term Afghan residents to regularize their status. Facilitate the documentation of mixed-nationality families to prevent family separations. Work with international agencies to create voluntary, safe, dignified return programs rather than forced expulsions. Ensure that no vulnerable individual, especially women, children, and former officials, is returned to face persecution.

Second, the international community must step up. Pakistan cannot and should not bear this burden alone. More funding, resettlement programs, and logistical support are needed. The UNHCR, IOM, and other partners must collaborate closely with Islamabad to manage this challenge humanely. This is not just a policy debate; it is a moral test. The way Pakistan handles the Afghan refugee crisis will echo in the country’s history and reputation for years to come. It’s easy to talk about sovereignty and borders. It’s harder to look into the eyes of a teenage girl being forced to abandon her education, or a mother torn from her children, and justify it as “policy.” Afghans have shared our homes, markets, schools, and dreams for decades. They stood by us during our darkest hours. It is now our turn to remember our shared humanity.

Tabish Munir is a research scholar at Quaid-e-Azam University, Islamabad.