Overview

• The government has set September as the start for removing 1.3 million Afghans whose UN-issued registration cards expired without renewal.
• This third wave follows mass expulsions of unregistered refugees from November 2023 and a recent push against legally registered migrants that has driven over one million returns.
• Islamabad officials say they ultimately aim to deport up to three million Afghan nationals under a broader repatriation plan.
• The UN Refugee Agency reports that hundreds of legally registered Afghans have already been detained and sent back to Afghanistan ahead of the new deadline.
• Humanitarian groups warn that the influx of returnees could deepen Afghanistan’s crisis and expose many to Taliban persecution while Iran carries out similar expulsions.