According to Pakistan news media, the second phase of Afghan repatriation has commenced through the Torkham and Chaman border crossings. On Thursday, nearly 400 Afghan families holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) reached the borders to return to their homeland.
Officials in Chaman confirmed that the repatriation of Afghan refugees via the Pak-Afghan border in Balochistan is in full swing. The initial phase, launched in 2023, saw 469,879 undocumented Afghan nationals leave Pakistan, as per data from the Home and Tribal Affairs Department of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
In Torkham, authorities revealed that fifty Afghan families, displaced from Punjab, were among the latest group of returnees. Some, like Abdullah, a repatriated Afghan, claimed that after the March 31 deadline, police in Punjab launched a crackdown, detaining ACC holders and expelling them forcefully.
Meanwhile, arrangements have been finalized at the Holding Centre in Landi Kotal to facilitate the return process. According to official estimates, nearly 880,000 Afghan nationals with ACCs are expected to repatriate during this phase. The government had warned that those failing to leave voluntarily by March 31 would face forced deportation.
Though the repatriation was scheduled to begin immediately, it was briefly delayed due to Eidul Fitr. However, the process resumed on April 2, with authorities setting up holding camps along the Afghan border, including one at Jamal Nasir Football Stadium.
Chaman Deputy Commissioner Habib Ahmad Bangulzai stated that a database camp was established at the Bab Dosti crossing to ensure biometric verification through NADRA. Afghan families left behind during processing will be provided shelter and food before being sent across the border.
With over 3,500 families registered in Chaman, only two families left voluntarily, while authorities transferred eight others to holding camps for further processing before their final departure.
