Stranded Afghan Citizens in Pakistan Face Uncertain Future

Following a shift in policies by the United States and other nations, numerous Afghan citizens who once held prominent positions in Afghanistan are now stranded in Pakistan, their aspirations of relocating to a third country unfulfilled.

Since the Taliban’s resurgence in August 2021, many Afghans have sought refuge in Pakistan. However, alterations in refugee and asylum seeker policies by the U.S. and other countries have left them unable to proceed further.

Approximately 300 Afghan families are currently residing in makeshift accommodations at Argentina Park in Islamabad.

Samia, a 24-year-old from Baghlan city, is among those displaced. She fled Afghanistan in February 2022 and now resides in Pakistan with her young son, Daniyal, who was born there.

She stated, “We escaped due to life-threatening circumstances. Afghanistan offered no prospects for our children, but we find ourselves without a secure place here as well.”

Several women who formerly served in the Afghan police force are also among the displaced individuals.

Pari Noori, an eight-year veteran, and Shehnaz Alizadeh, who served for 14 years, both described the stability they experienced before the Taliban takeover, which rapidly deteriorated afterward.

Noori recounted, “We possessed employment, financial security, and overall safety, but everything collapsed.”

Alizadeh asserted that continuous threats and violence under two years of Taliban rule compelled her departure.

Many displaced Afghans in Islamabad express that they are caught between hope and despair, facing an ambiguous future, and persist in their pleas for relocation to safer countries.

Over 1.3 million Afghans possess Proof of Registration cards, while an additional 750,000 hold Afghan Citizen Cards.

Many Afghans have been living in Pakistan since the 1980s, seeking refuge from the ongoing conflicts in Afghanistan.

Earlier this month, Pakistani authorities reiterated their call for Afghans residing in the southwest to leave the country, resulting in a surge of individuals heading towards the border, according to officials.

A deportation initiative that commenced in 2023 was resumed in April when the government revoked hundreds of thousands of Afghan residence permits, warning of potential arrests for those who remained.

Since 2023, over one million Afghans have departed from Pakistan, including more than 200,000 since April.

The campaign focused on the 800,000-plus Afghans holding temporary residence permits, some of whom were born in Pakistan or have resided there for decades.

Pakistan’s repatriation effort is part of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, which was initiated in late 2023.

Iran has also undertaken a substantial deportation campaign of Afghans, resulting in the return of over 1.5 million individuals across the border.