The deadline for Afghan refugees living in Pakistan expired on March 31. Due to this, the Pakistani government has started the process of repatriating Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and other illegal refugees from April 1.
According to the Pakistani news agency Dawn, the city administration and law enforcement agencies in Karachi started repatriating 16,138 ACC holders on Friday. Officials said that more than 150 Afghans have already been detained as part of the government’s policy to deport illegal foreigners.
Earlier, the Interior Ministry had said in a statement on March 6, “All illegal foreigners and ACCs are being asked to voluntarily leave the country before March 31, 2025; The forced repatriation will then begin from April 1.
On February 13, Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi directed the Sindh government to send all ACC holders back to their country under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP). The plan had a voluntary repatriation period till March 31, after which the ‘forced repatriation’ began from April 1.
According to the IRFP prepared by the Sindh Home Department, a ‘holding point’ has been set up in Karachi and Jacobabad. Apart from this, there is a ‘transit point’ in Sakrund in Shaheed Benazirabad, which has a total capacity of 1,500 people.
South Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Syed Asad Reza said that so far 162 ACC holders have been brought to the holding camps, some of whom were sent back as they were Proof of Origin (POR). Apart from this, a total of 196 Afghans were brought to the camp from different areas on April 3, out of which 20 were released due to POR. On April 4 (Friday), 90 more arrived and 10 were released. That is, a total of 242 Afghans have been brought for repatriation.
Reza said that a joint mapping by the Special Branch of the police and other agencies has identified the presence of a total of 16,138 ACC holders in Karachi, most of whom live in the East and West districts.