The crisis facing Afghan refugees in Pakistan just got worse
For many Afghan refugees, life in Islamabad is a daily struggle — one that the outside world rarely sees. The journey from Afghanistan to Pakistan is filled with hope for safety and stability, but the reality is far different. Families, including mine, find themselves confined to small rooms for months, sometimes more than a year, with no place to truly call home. Living in limbo, caught between a past left behind and an uncertain future, is a burden that weighs heavily on us all.
The struggle isn’t just about poverty — it’s about dignity, stability, and survival. The Pakistani government’s increasingly harsh policies have made life unbearable for Afghan refugees. As human rights activist Azatullah Bakhshi tells Zan Times, “The situation is alarming. Many, including human rights defenders, women activists, and former military personnel, are at risk of forced deportation despite the dangers they face.”
On January 29, 2025, a high-level government meeting chaired by the prime minister introduced new directives for the forced relocation of Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi and the directive was sent to the Press Club in Islamabad by the Interior Ministry. Key decisions include:
- ACC (Afghan Citizen Card) holders: Afghan refugees with an ACC must leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi and will be deported to Afghanistan in the first phase of this plan, along with undocumented Afghans.
- POR (Proof of Registration) card holders: Afghan refugees with POR cards must vacate Islamabad and Rawalpindi by June 30, 2025.
- Resettlement applicants: Afghan refugees awaiting resettlement in third countries must leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31, 2025. If their relocation does not materialize by then, they too face deportation.
- Authorities have been directed to prevent any return of deported refugees.
- The government has ordered the media not to report on these forced relocations.
- Intelligence agencies, including IB (Intelligence Bureau) and ISI (Inter-Services Intelligence), are overseeing the relocation process and report directly to the prime minister’s office.
The crackdown has begun. Afghan refugees, even those with valid visas, are being arrested. Corruption is rampant as some police officers demand bribes in exchange for release from custody, which further marginalizes an already vulnerable community. Often, bribed officials take the money but don’t provide needed documents. One Afghan refugee who asked for anonymity, tells Zan Times, “Getting a visa was nearly impossible. They asked for huge sums of money, and even then, they only issued medical visas. We had no choice but to take them. But at the airport, they detained us, claiming we were healthy and had bribed officials for visas.”
Many Afghans sold everything as they fled their homeland. A common refrain among refugees is that they’d exhausted their savings within the first year of living in Pakistan and now survive on debt. “We had to take loans,” a refugee explains. “Our children dropped out of school and university. Our visas expired, and we had to hide from the police.” Others go further into debt paying for visa extensions. Organizations like GIZ (the German development agency) and IOM (International Organization for Migration) provide food, accommodation, and healthcare, but their assistance is inadequate compared to the need.
Bakhshi warns of the psychological toll of delayed resettlement cases, including suicides and heart attacks among refugees. That despair turned tragic on Tuesday, February 4, when Sher Mohammad took his own life in a guesthouse near Peshawar Morr, Islamabad. He was an Afghan refugee from Panjshir province who was awaiting resettlement in Canada. Reports suggest prolonged delays in the Canadian immigration process pushed him to this heartbreaking decision.
Human rights activists warn that if the desperate plight of Afghan refugees in Pakistan persists, then the number of mental health crises and suicides will rise. They urge international organizations, including the UNHCR, European Union, and the governments of the U.S. and Canada, to expedite their resettlement processes before more lives are lost. “Since deportations began, the UN has shut its doors to the people. Their lawyers either ignore us or simply say, ‘We can’t do anything,’” explains women’s rights activist Rahil Talash, leader of the Justice-Seeking Women’s Movement.
Talash describes the situation facing Afghan refugees as dire: “Everyone is overwhelmed with anxiety, psychological distress, and fear of arrest.” In particular, she criticizes police raids on refugee homes, often without warrants or regard for women and children, saying, “Female police officers behave even more brutal than their male counterparts.”
Meanwhile, the roundups continue. “I escaped twice by paying bribes, but now even that doesn’t work,” explains an Afghan living in the capital of Pakistan. “The police say no Afghan, whether they have a visa or not, can stay in Islamabad.”
With the March 31 and June 30 deadlines fast approaching, the world must remember that refugees are not statistics but are individuals, families, and communities with stories, struggles, and dreams. The international community must step up with real, long-term solutions. Afghan refugees deserve more than mere survival — they deserve the chance to rebuild their lives with dignity.
The current freeze on immigration to the United States has deeply shaken the Afghan community in Pakistan. “No one has helped me with even a single rupee. I survive entirely on loans,” says one Afghan awaiting resettlement. “Now that cases are being delayed, creditors are hesitant. They ask, ‘If your case doesn’t get approved, how will you repay us?’” They came to Pakistan believing their cases would be processed in 12 to 14 months. “But now, three years have passed. We have suffered immensely. Who will compensate for this?”
Jamil is pen name of a freelance journalist from Afghanistan.
