Overview

• Authorities have begun house-to-house detentions of Afghan nationals whose PoR cards expired on June 30 and are transporting them to border crossings.
• A July 31 Special Regulatory Order invalidated all Proof of Registration cards under the Foreigners Act of 1946, effectively criminalizing legal residency.
• Police, district administrations and prison authorities have been granted power to arrest and detain refugees without judicial oversight.
• UNHCR spokesman Qaiser Khan Afridi cautioned that forced returns risk breaching international non-refoulement obligations and urged a dignified, voluntary repatriation process.
• Humanitarian agencies report that over 1.2 million Afghans have returned since September 2023, straining Afghanistan’s fragile infrastructure and exposing returnees to harsh conditions before winter.