The Pakistani government’s deadline for Afghan refugees to leave expired on June 30, 2025, ending the legal protections offered by the PoR card. This card, issued in 2006, allowed Afghan refugees to live and work in Pakistan without fear of deportation. The expiration has now left many refugees at risk of being sent back to Afghanistan.

This phase focuses on approximately 1.3 million refugees, including those who were registered with the United Nations and those holding Afghan Citizen Cards. The deportations have intensified since March 31, when the government began phasing out PoR protections, following a series of diplomatic talks with Taliban officials.

A Crisis for Refugees and Afghanistan

Pakistani officials have acknowledged the difficult conditions faced by those being sent back. Refugees now face uncertain futures in a country still grappling with war, political instability, and poverty.

On the ground in border areas such as Torkham, Afghan refugees, many of whom had been living in Pakistan for years, are now forced to return to their homeland with limited resources and uncertain futures. Pakistan's efforts to curb the influence of militant groups like the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan, which operates from Afghan territory, has also been a motivating factor in the expulsions.

Negotiations and International Pressure

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar had visited Kabul earlier this year to engage in talks with the Taliban to prevent further destabilization along the border, though no significant breakthroughs have been reported. The International community remains concerned about the sudden and large-scale return of refugees to Afghanistan, where many face dire conditions.