UNHCR Warns of Escalating Crisis for Afghan Migrants in Pakistan

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has issued a grave warning regarding the situation of Afghan migrants in Pakistan, reporting that over 100,000 have been detained and expelled in the first ten months of 2025. This figure marks a staggering tenfold increase compared to the previous year. Alarmingly, 24% of those detained hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, indicating a significant regression in legal protections and a shift towards a purely national identity focus in Pakistan.

Over 100,000 Detained in Ten Months

In a recent report, the UNHCR highlighted the escalating crisis of Afghan migrants in Pakistan. The report revealed that from January to October 2025, more than 100,971 Afghan migrants have been apprehended and forcibly removed from the country. This marks an increase greater than tenfold compared to 2024, when only 9,006 detentions were recorded.

Targeting PoR Card Holders

A particularly alarming aspect of the UNHCR’s findings concerns the legal status of the detainees. Of those apprehended, 76% either possessed Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC) or lacked legal documentation. Most troubling, however, is that 24% of the detainees were holders of PoR cards.
This group had previously been under the official protection of the Pakistani government and the UN, and their detainment was seen as unimaginable. This shift follows two recent executive orders from the Pakistani government earlier this year: one mandating the forced expulsion of Afghans from Islamabad and its adjoining areas, and the other expanding the reach of detentions to those with PoR cards.

Concurrent Crisis in Pakistan and Iran

The UNHCR also noted a significant drop in global cash assistance for Afghan families in Pakistan. Meanwhile, economic and security pressures on migrant communities in neighboring Iran have intensified, with hundreds of thousands of Afghans facing forced repatriation this year.

Weakening Cooperation and Regional Instability

The extension of detentions to PoR cardholders suggests a shift in Pakistan’s policies away from the legal status of migrants towards a purely national identity basis. This development could undermine four decades of humanitarian cooperation between Pakistan and the United Nations.
Experts warn that in light of Afghanistan’s inability to absorb such a large returnee population, this trend will not only intensify the humanitarian crisis but also foster security instability in the region.