Pakistan Sees Over 860,000 Afghans Return Home Since 2023 Crackdown

Since September 2023, over 860,000 Afghans have departed Pakistan, with more than 500,000 crossing into Afghanistan via border points in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Pakistan initiated the second stage of its Afghan repatriation program on April 1, following the expiration of a voluntary return deadline for Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders. The first phase, launched in 2023, targeted Afghans living illegally in the country for repatriation.

Data from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), cited by Dawn, indicates that between September 15, 2023, and April 5, 2025, a total of 861,763 Afghans returned to Afghanistan. Over 500,000 of these individuals crossed through two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa border points, with 4,908 leaving on Friday alone.

Among Friday’s departures, 2,475 were legal ACC holders, of whom 2,125 left voluntarily, while 350 were deported via the Torkham crossing. Since the second phase began on April 1, 16,242 ACC holders have exited, with 9,439 leaving voluntarily and 6,803 facing deportation.

Since September 2023, a total of 500,040 Afghans have crossed back into Afghanistan through the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa borders. Authorities have also transported Afghans from Punjab and Islamabad to deportation centers, with individuals processed at transit camps in Peshawar and Landi Kotal before being sent back.