Pakistan has repatriated a total of 682,141 Afghan nationals as part of its ongoing campaign to send back individuals residing in the country illegally, the Ministry of Interior announced on Monday.
The ministry reported that 69,431 Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and 216,634 Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders have been returned to Afghanistan from various parts of Pakistan. On Sunday alone, 139 ACC holders and 1,224 PoR card holders were repatriated via the Torkham border. Additionally, 375 Afghan nationals were sent back the previous day through the same crossing.
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The repatriation drive reflects Pakistan’s broader efforts to manage its borders and reduce the number of undocumented migrants in the country. Officials have stressed that the operations are part of a coordinated legal framework to ensure orderly returns.
Repatriation efforts are not limited to Pakistan. Turkey has also recorded a significant number of deportations of Afghan nationals over the past year. According to the Turkish Migration Authority, over 152,000 Afghan migrants were arrested in 2025, making them the largest group among illegal migrant arrests. Syrians were the second-largest group, followed by nationals from Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Iran.
While the total number of arrests of illegal migrants in Turkey decreased in 2025 compared to 2024, Afghan nationals remain the most affected group. In 2024, more than 225,000 migrants were arrested nationwide, highlighting the ongoing regional challenge of managing irregular migration.
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The Interior Ministry in Pakistan has emphasized that the repatriation process aims to be systematic and in accordance with legal and humanitarian standards, ensuring the safety of returning individuals while protecting Pakistan’s border integrity.