Afghan Nationals: Punjab Deports Over 140,000 Since 2023

Afghan Nationals: Punjab Deports Over 140,000 Since 2023

Punjab has deported 140,468 Afghan nationals so far under Pakistan’s ongoing campaign against foreign nationals residing in the country without valid visas, according to the provincial Home Department. The department’s Foreign National Security Cell is continuing checks and enforcement operations across the province, while 39 holding centres are currently being used to process people awaiting repatriation.

The latest figures were shared by a Punjab Home Department spokesperson, who said Afghan nationals found to be staying without valid visas are being taken into custody and transferred to designated holding facilities before their return to Afghanistan.

The development comes as Pakistan continues its wider repatriation campaign, with authorities reporting that approximately 2.68 million Afghan nationals have been deported from the country overall.

Punjab continues Afghan nationals deportation drive

The Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell is responsible for coordinating the provincial operation.

According to the department, officials are conducting checks in residential neighbourhoods and markets to identify foreign nationals who are allegedly residing in Punjab without the required documentation.

Those identified as staying illegally are taken to holding centres, where authorities complete registration and other administrative formalities before arranging their deportation.

The provincial authorities say the action is being carried out under the national policy governing the stay of foreign nationals in Pakistan.

The department has previously described the campaign as part of a broader effort to identify undocumented foreign residents and process them for repatriation. Earlier reporting by Dawn also documented the use of Punjab’s Foreign National Security Cell and holding centres for this purpose.

39 holding centres operating across Punjab

The Punjab Home Department spokesperson said 39 holding centres are currently operational across the province.

A total of 188 Afghan nationals are currently being accommodated at these facilities while authorities complete registration, documentation and arrangements for their return.

The centres provide temporary accommodation during the administrative process. Once the required formalities are completed, individuals are transferred for repatriation.

The figures represent the current provincial position provided by the Home Department and may change as additional people are detained, processed or repatriated.

Earlier this year, Punjab authorities reported operating 36 to 37 holding centres at different stages of the campaign, indicating that the network has been expanded or adjusted as operations have continued.

How the repatriation process works

Under the policy cited by the Punjab Home Department, Afghan nationals without valid visas are not permitted to remain in Pakistan.

Authorities first identify individuals considered to be residing illegally. Those taken into custody are then shifted to holding centres.

At the centres, officials complete the necessary documentation and registration procedures. Temporary accommodation is provided while arrangements are made for repatriation.

According to the provincial spokesperson, individuals processed through Punjab are subsequently handed over to Afghan authorities at the Torkham border.

The process is therefore not limited to arrest and removal. It also involves documentation and coordination between Pakistani authorities and officials on the Afghan side of the border.

Previous reports from Punjab have similarly stated that holding centres were being used for temporary accommodation, registration and arrangements for return.

Pakistan’s wider Afghan repatriation campaign

Punjab’s figures form part of a much larger nationwide repatriation campaign.

The latest figure cited by the provincial Home Department puts the total number of Afghan nationals deported from Pakistan at around 2.68 million.

Previous reports show that the national figure has increased steadily during the ongoing campaign. In July 2026, Dawn reported that the federal and Punjab governments had deported approximately 2.59 million illegally staying Afghan residents since 2023. At that time, Punjab had reported 138,342 people processed and repatriated from the province.

A separate report published by Daily Times in July cited a national figure of 2,588,016 and said Punjab had repatriated 138,342 Afghan nationals.

The newer figures supplied by the Punjab Home Department therefore indicate that the campaign has continued to expand since those earlier reports.

Authorities say valid documentation remains key

The Punjab Home Department spokesperson stressed that Afghan nationals, like other foreign nationals, must have valid authorization to remain in Pakistan.

The department’s position is that people without valid visas are required to leave the country under the government’s policy.

This distinction is important because the current enforcement campaign is officially directed at people authorities classify as illegally residing in Pakistan, rather than at Afghan nationals as a nationality group generally.

Afghan nationals holding valid documentation are not described by the provincial authorities as part of the illegal-residency category targeted by the operation.

Checks continue in markets and residential areas

The provincial security cell is also conducting checks in different parts of Punjab.

According to the Home Department, residential areas and markets are being examined as authorities seek to identify people who may not have valid documentation.

Such operations form part of the province’s broader monitoring of foreign nationals.

Earlier in 2026, Punjab authorities said checks had also been conducted in public places, residential areas, religious seminaries and educational institutions as part of efforts to identify illegally residing Afghan nationals.

The department has also previously said that information provided through the Police Emergency Helpline 15 contributed to identifying some Afghan nationals during the campaign.

Public urged to report illegal stay and identity fraud

The Punjab Home Department has appealed to citizens to assist authorities by reporting cases involving suspected illegal residence, identity fraud or suspicious activity.

The spokesperson said reports can be made through Police Emergency 15.

Authorities have also assured callers that their identities will be kept confidential.

The request places responsibility on the public to provide information to law-enforcement agencies rather than taking direct action against individuals.

Torkham remains a key route for repatriation

The Torkham crossing has remained an important route for the return of Afghan nationals from Pakistan.

According to the Punjab Home Department, people processed through its holding centres are handed over to Afghan authorities at Torkham once the required documentation and arrangements have been completed.

Border conditions can affect the movement of people between the two countries. Earlier in 2026, authorities temporarily used the Chaman border for some repatriations when the Torkham crossing was closed amid tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.

This demonstrates the logistical role that border crossings play in Pakistan’s repatriation process.

What happens next?

The Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell is expected to continue its operations across the province.

With 188 Afghan nationals currently reported to be in holding centres, further repatriations are expected once documentation and other formalities are completed.

The department has also indicated that monitoring of residential areas and markets will continue as part of the campaign.

The latest provincial figure of 140,468 repatriated Afghan nationals represents an increase from the 138,342 reported by Punjab authorities in July.

As the operation continues, the number of people processed and repatriated is likely to change.

The broader policy remains focused on returning foreign nationals whom authorities classify as illegally residing in Pakistan, while individuals with valid permission to remain in the country fall outside that category.

Why the development matters

The continued repatriation campaign represents a significant development in Pakistan’s management of undocumented foreign residents and its broader policy toward Afghan nationals.

Punjab is Pakistan’s most populous province and has a large network of administrative and security institutions involved in identifying and processing foreign nationals.

The latest figures also show that the repatriation campaign remains active more than two years after the federal government began its nationwide drive against undocumented Afghan residents.

For authorities, the stated objective is enforcement of immigration requirements and implementation of national policy.

For those being processed, the procedure involves detention at holding facilities, documentation and eventual transfer across the border.

The situation remains ongoing, with provincial authorities continuing operations and updating the number of people held and repatriated.