Over 500 undocumented Afghans detained across three Pakistani provinces in one week

According to a new IOM and UNHCR analysis, authorities detained 517 Afghan nationals from Oct 11-17 in three districts spanning Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. ACC holders and undocumented migrants represented 97% of those arrested, with Proof of Registration holders comprising 3%. The bulk of detentions occurred in Balochistan, with additional cases in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

During the same week, 3,883 Afghans were sent back to Afghanistan through the Torkham, Chaman and Bahramcha crossings, of which 499 were classified as deportations. Compared with the prior week, overall returns dropped by 10% and deportations by 48%. Most of those returning were undocumented, while a small share held ACC or PoR documents, and the majority of PoR returns were processed by UNHCR’s Voluntary Repatriation Centres.