RASC News Agency: The Pakistani government has issued a final ultimatum to Afghanistani migrants holding Afghanistani Citizen Cards (ACC), setting March 31, 2025, as the deadline for their voluntary departure. According to a report by Dawn News, Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior has made it clear that mass deportations will begin immediately once the deadline expires. A leaked document obtained by Dawn News reveals that even holders of Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, who are legally permitted to remain in Pakistan until June 30, 2025, will be relocated from Islamabad and Rawalpindi to other regions.
According to the document, the first phase of this operation will target ACC holders, as well as undocumented Afghanistani migrants, including those awaiting resettlement in third countries. Ultimately, they will be forcibly repatriated to Afghanistan. Dawn News highlights that this policy will further complicate the relocation of 15,000 Afghanistani migrants awaiting resettlement in the United States a process already hindered by Donald Trump’s administration, which has frozen the U.S. refugee admissions program since assuming office. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghanistani migrants for decades, including those who fled following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021. Government estimates suggest that over 800,000 Afghanistani migrants hold ACCs, while countless others remain undocumented.
The mass deportation campaign first launched in late 2023. Reports indicate that during the initial phase, which began in November 2023, more than 500,000 undocumented Afghanistani migrants and asylum seekers were forcibly expelled. The second phase of expulsions commenced in April 2024, targeting ACC holders. Meanwhile, Iran has also intensified its crackdown on Afghanistani migrants, declaring that it will not extend the validity of Afghanistan census registration documents. As a result, holders of these documents will face forced removal beginning next year.
