The Pakistani government has instructed all Afghan refugees residing in Dalbandin, Chaghi, Nokundi, and Taftan — areas located in western Balochistan — to leave the country by March 31, 2025. Refugees who fail to comply with this deadline will face forced eviction and deportation to Afghanistan.
According to reports from the previous month, Pakistan has developed a phased repatriation plan specifically for Afghan refugees who were promised resettlement by the United States. The plan directs foreign embassies to facilitate the relocation of these refugees out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi by the end of March 2025. If the relocation is not completed within this timeframe, the refugees will be sent back to Afghanistan.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals crossed into Pakistan, seeking safety. Many of them had worked alongside US and NATO forces and feared persecution under the Taliban regime.
A significant number of these refugees came to Pakistan with the hope of receiving resettlement in the United States. However, their hopes were disrupted after former US President Donald Trump ordered a suspension of the US Refugee Admissions Program (USRAP), effectively blocking refugees — including those already in the process of relocation — from entering the US.
In response, Pakistan’s Prime Minister’s Office prepared a three-phase repatriation plan aimed at Afghan refugees waiting for third-country resettlement. The plan urges foreign missions to arrange for these Afghan nationals to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi by March 31, 2025. If they are not relocated by this deadline, they will be returned to Afghanistan.
Additionally, it was reported last month that Pakistan intends to expel all Afghan refugees by 2025, including those holding valid refugee cards. However, Afghan nationals will still have the option to apply for visas if they wish to return to Pakistan as regular foreign visitors.
