Since the ‘Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan’ was announced by Pakistan’s government in October 2023, at least 1,080,312 Afghan refugees and asylum seekers have been forced to return to Afghanistan in violation of international law, namely the principle of non-refoulement. The plan, divided into three phases, seeks to deport unregistered refugees, Afghan Citizen Card holders and Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders respectively. The UN Refugee Agency-issued PoR cards to at least 1.4 million Afghans, set to expire on 30 June 2025. Pakistan must uphold the rights of refugees, immediately stop all deportations and renew the PoR cards before the deadline expires.
