Pakistan Orders Afghan Citizens, Illegal Foreigners to Leave by March 31

Pakistan’s interior ministry has announced that all “illegal foreigners” and Afghan Citizen Card holders must leave the country by March 31, warning of deportation starting April 1, Arab News reported. The ministry’s statement emphasized Pakistan’s role as a responsible host but reiterated the need for individuals to comply with legal requirements.

Afghan citizens represent the largest group of migrants in Pakistan, and the government has previously attributed militant attacks and crimes to this community, a claim that Kabul has denied. Currently, over 800,000 Afghans hold Afghan Citizen Cards in Pakistan, while approximately 1.3 million are registered with Proof of Residence cards.

Since the initiation of a repatriation drive in 2023, more than 800,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan. Pakistan has hosted around 2.8 million Afghan refugees over the past 40 years, many of whom are now seeking resettlement in Western nations following the Taliban’s takeover in 2021.