Humanitarian Crisis Deepens As Pakistan Resumes Repatriation Of Afghan Refugees | Exclusive Details

Pakistan has partially reopened the Torkham border crossing, but only to facilitate the mass deportation and repatriation of Afghan nationals, while keeping the vital artery closed to all commercial trade, CNN-News18 has learnt.

This decision, following weeks of complete border closure across the Durand Line, has intensified an already dire humanitarian crisis and drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organisations.

The mass repatriation campaign, initiated in late 2023, is continuing at a ruthless pace. According to top sources, Pakistan has forcibly deported an estimated 20,000 Afghan refugees in a single day, contributing to a staggering total of approximately 1.56 million Afghan nationals expelled since the policy began.

The deportation

drive targets not only undocumented individuals but has reportedly included those with valid legal status. Reports indicate Pakistan has cancelled thousands of valid medical and student visas, leading to widespread concern that the government is operating a non-discriminatory expulsion policy. Moving forward, Pakistan has stated that no Afghan national will be allowed entry without a valid passport and visa.

The border restrictions, which have seen all major crossing points, including Chaman and Torkham, closed since October 11, have resulted in what activists describe as inhumane treatment. Refugees attempting to return have been forced to spend up to 20 days and nights in open mountainous border areas without access to basic facilities, shelter, food, or water.

Human rights activists have condemned the Pakistani government’s actions, asserting that the massive scale of forced return and the treatment of vulnerable individuals violate international humanitarian laws and the principle of non-refoulement. Meanwhile, Pakistani forces are maintaining massive search operations across the country, rounding up Afghan nationals for immediate transport and expulsion.

The continued closure of the Torkham and Chaman crossings for trade, despite the partial opening for pedestrians, has compounded the economic hardship for both nations, with crucial transit trade routes remaining suspended. The focus remains strictly on clearing out the refugees, a policy that critics warn risks plunging returnees into persecution and destitution in an already unstable Afghanistan.