Pakistan arrests record number of Afghan migrants in 2025: UNHCR

Islamabad: Pakistan has detained a record number of Afghan migrants in 2025, with the highest number of arrests reported in Balochistan and Punjab provinces, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

A new UNHCR report has revealed that the majority of arrests were made in Chagai and Quetta districts of Balochistan and Attock districts of Punjab, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported.

According to the agency, Pakistani authorities arrested 100,971 Afghans between January 1 and mid-November 2025, a record rise compared with about 9,000 arrests in 2024 and over 26,000 in 2023. UNHCR said 76 per cent of those detained were Afghan Citizen Card holders or undocumented migrants, while the remaining 24 per cent possessed Proof of Registration cards.

The rise in detention of Afghan migrants comes after two government orders in 2025, which directed the removal of Afghan migrants from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and allowed police to arrest PoR-card holders.

UNHCR noted a reduction in cash assistance for Afghan refugees in Pakistan as funding from donors continues to decrease. Aid agencies warned that the reduction has increased the vulnerability of thousands of Afghan families who rely on support for food, rent and winter supplies.

Several humanitarian organisations have urged Pakistan to ensure that any returns are voluntary and in accordance with international obligations. They warned that mass expulsions cause instability along the Afghanistan border, where newly returned families often lack housing, employment and basic services.

Last month, Afghan refugees voiced concerns over escalating challenges and growing fear amid the ongoing crackdown in Pakistan. They alleged that the Pakistani police have made announcements in some mosques warning that anyone assisting the refugees, including by renting homes or shops in Pakistan, would be considered a criminal by the government.

“A large number of Afghan refugees, including children, women, and the elderly, have been held in Pakistani detention centres for over 15 days, living in extremely harsh conditions,” Afghanistan’s leading media outlet TOLO News quoted Atiqullah Mansoor, an Afghan refugee in Pakistan, as saying.

Meanwhile, several other refugees stated that the Pakistani government, along with demolishing shelters, has stepped up arrests and forced deportations. They urged the Pakistani government to suspend the demolition of their homes and allow them to stay in Pakistan, at least through the winter.

“Winter has already started. Many of the remaining homes of Afghan refugees here have been demolished. We urge the Pakistani government to stop destroying the rest of the homes, because otherwise, refugees will be left without shelter and with nowhere to go. On top of that, the government has warned locals not to rent homes to Afghan refugees, or they will face legal consequences,” said another Afghan refugee in Pakistan.

IANS