Pakistan has expelled more than 8,000 Afghan nationals in the past week in a fresh repatriation drive after the expiry of a March 31 deadline, the UNHCR said on Tuesday. All Afghan nationals who have no legal documents to stay or those holding Afghan Citizen Cards had been warned by Islamabad to return home or face deportation. Authorities say they have set up temporary centers in various cities to house the Afghan nationals before transporting them to Torkham border crossing in northwest Pakistan. At least 8,906 Afghan nationals have been deported since April 1, the UNHCR said in a WhatsApp message. Islamabad says the drive is part of a campaign called the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan launched in late 2023. Pakistan has in the past blamed militant attacks and crimes on Afghan citizens, who form the largest portion of migrants in the country. Afghanistan has rejected the accusations. Kabul has termed the repatriation as forced deportation.
