UN: Pakistan detained 517 Afghan nationals in one week, IOM/UNHCR report says

Pakistani authorities detained 517 Afghan nationals between 11 and 17 October, according to a joint report by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the UN refugee agency, UNHCR, released on Friday 23 October.

Dawn, carrying the report, says the arrests took place in Balochistan, Sindh and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and that Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghans from Chagai, Peshawar and Karachi accounted for 97% of arrests and detentions, with Proof of Registration (PoR) holders accounting for 3%. Dawn also gives the provincial split of arrests and detentions as about 56% in Balochistan, 34% in Punjab and 10% in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

In the same week, 3,883 Afghans returned through the Torkham, Chaman and Bahramcha crossings, including 499 deportations. Returns were down 10% and deportations down 48% on the previous week of 4–10 October, when 4,295 returns included 961 deportations. Among those who returned, 83% were undocumented, 9% held ACCs and 8% held PoR cards, Dawn reports.

Among those deported in the week, 99% were undocumented, 1% held PoR cards and 1% held ACCs, as stated in the report. Fear of arrest remained the main reason for return among undocumented people and ACC holders (95%) and PoR holders (68%).

Cumulatively, about 2,744,068 Afghans have returned from Pakistan since 15 September 2023. Since 1 April 2025, 1,890,035 have returned, of whom 237,387 (13%) were deported.

This is a weekly UN data report, distinct from the Torkham border-post flare-up covered separately.

Sources: https://www.dawn.com/news/2039358/over-500-illegal-afghans-held-in-three-provinces and https://8am.media/eng/un-pakistan-detained-517-afghan-nationals-in-one-week/