Arrests of Afghan nationals in Pakistan soar 146 per cent amid border reopening

Islamabad [Pakistan], November 8 : The number of Afghan nationals arrested and detained in Pakistan surged by 146 per cent in a single week, a spike linked to the reopening of border crossings, according to a joint report by the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), Dawn reported.
A total of 7,764 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained in the week ending November 1, marking a significant rise from the previous week, the report said.
Of those arrested between October 26 and November 1, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghans made up 77 per cent, while Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders accounted for the remaining 23 per cent.
The report noted that 86 per cent of the arrests and detentions took place in Balochistan. Nationwide, the top three districts for such arrests between January 1 and November 1, 2025, were Chagi, Attock and Quetta, Dawn reported.
The data further indicated that the rate of returns and deportations also rose sharply in the last week of October. The number of returns increased by 101 per cent, while deportations climbed by 131 per cent compared to the week of October 19-25.
The figures rose from 18,630 returns, including 3,341 deportations, in the previous week to 37,448 returns, including 7,733 deportations, in the week ending November 1.
"This notable increase is primarily attributed to the reopening of the Chaman border, with Torkham also reopening on November 1," the report stated.
From September 15, 2023, to November 1, 2025, a total of 1,667,713 individuals have returned to Afghanistan, Dawn reported.
For the week between October 26 and November 1, PoR holders made up 47 per cent of all returns, followed by 44 per cent undocumented individuals and 8 per cent ACC holders.
In contrast, 93 per cent of deportees during this period were undocumented.
The report highlighted that fear of arrest was the main reason for return among 93 per cent of undocumented individuals and ACC holders, and for 39 per cent of PoR holders, since April 1, 2023.
The recent developments come after several government directives affecting Afghan nationals.
In July, authorities ordered the repatriation of PoR card holders following the expiry of their card validity on June 30 and later set a September 1 deadline for them to leave Pakistan.