Pakistan enforces Afghan repatriation plan as nations tighten migration policies

PESHAWAR: Pakistan has set July 10 as the deadline for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country voluntarily under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), as governments across Europe and the region continue tightening policies on irregular migration and the return of Afghan nationals.

A June 28 notification issued by Pakistan's Ministry of Interior, seen by Pakistan TV Digital, states that undocumented Afghan nationals remaining in the country after July 10 will face arrest and deportation under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan introduced in 2023.

Beginning July 11, provincial law enforcement agencies and other relevant authorities have been directed to submit daily reports to the federal government detailing the arrests, detention and status of foreigners found to be residing in the country illegally.

Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghan nationals for more than four decades following successive waves of conflict in neighboring Afghanistan. Officials say the repatriation drive targets undocumented foreigners and visa overstayers while reaffirming that Pakistan will continue to meet its obligations toward legally documented foreign nationals residing in the country.

The government has repeatedly linked the repatriation campaign to national security concerns, citing a rise in crossborder terrorism since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in Kabul in 2021. Pakistani authorities have also stated on multiple occasions that Afghan nationals have been involved in several terrorist attacks inside Pakistan, while urging the Afghan authorities to prevent the use of Afghan territory by terrorist groups targeting Pakistan.

Pakistan officially refers to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as Fitna al-Khawarij, describing it as a terrorist organization responsible for attacks against civilians, security forces and state institutions. Officials have repeatedly maintained that many of the group's leaders and fighters operate from Afghan territory and have called on the Afghan authorities to deny terrorist groups safe havens across the border.

Pakistan's enforcement measures come amid a broader international shift toward stricter migration policies and increased returns of Afghan nationals. Neighboring Iran has accelerated deportation operations in recent months, while Turkiye continues returning undocumented Afghan migrants as part of its immigration enforcement measures. Germany has resumed deportations of Afghan nationals convicted of serious crimes and is pursuing arrangements for regular returns, while Austria has announced plans to resume deportations of Afghan nationals whose asylum applications have been rejected.

At the European level, the European Union hosted a delegation of Afghan Taliban officials in Brussels on June 22 for technical discussions on migrant returns. The talks focused on mechanisms for returning rejected asylum seekers and individuals convicted of crimes.

More than 20 European Union member states, including Germany and Sweden, supported the technical engagement. European officials have emphasized that the discussions do not constitute diplomatic recognition of the Afghan Taliban authorities.

In a statement previously provided to Pakistan TV Digital last year in November, the German Federal Ministry of the Interior said Berlin was implementing its coalition agreement to resume deportations to Afghanistan, beginning with individuals convicted of serious crimes and those considered security threats.

"A first return operation under the current government took place in July 2025, in which 81 Afghan citizens who have committed serious crimes in Germany were repatriated to Afghanistan," the ministry said.

Iran has also significantly expanded the return of undocumented Afghan nationals. Following the expiry of temporary identification documents issued to Afghan migrants, Iranian authorities have stepped up deportation operations, with returns continuing in recent months.

Pakistan's interior ministry said the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan is being implemented in phases and applies to all foreigners residing illegally in the country, regardless of nationality, with enforcement measures continuing after the July 10 deadline.

Although the Afghan Taliban authorities have sought broader international engagement with countries including Pakistan, China, India, Russia, several Central Asian states and Middle Eastern countries, international recognition of their administration remains limited. Russia remains the only country to have formally recognized the current authorities in Kabul.