Pakistan Shuts Last Afghan Refugee Camp in Punjab Amid Forced Returns

Pakistan Shuts Last Afghan Refugee Camp in Punjab Amid Forced Returns
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Pakistan has closed the last remaining Afghan refugee camp in Punjab province, intensifying deportations of undocumented Afghans. Authorities confirmed that the Kot Chandna camp in Mianwali district was officially shut down, leaving no formal refugee facilities in the province.

Local officials said more than 42,000 Afghans have been identified and returned since April 2025 through the Torkham border crossing, most without legal documents. Under current regulations, only Afghans with valid visas are allowed to remain in Pakistan.

According to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), Pakistan hosts more than 3.5 million Afghans, nearly half of whom lack proper documentation, making them vulnerable to forced repatriation. Humanitarian organizations have raised concerns that the closures and deportations will worsen Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis under Taliban rule, straining already limited resources for displaced families.