Pakistan: Police Intensifies Detention Of Afghan Refugees In Islamabad

Kabul: Pakistani police has increased arrests of Afghan refugees in Islamabad, shifting dozens, including a journalist, to temporary camps amid deportation operations, local media reported.

Pakistani police have been arresting and forcibly deporting Afghan asylum seekers, further increasing pressure on displaced communities in Kabul, Afghanistan’s leading news agency Khaama Press reported citing sources in Islamabad.

On Wednesday, police arrested several Afghan refugees from Islamabad’s B-17 area and shifted them to a temporary camps known as Haji Camp. According to sources, a journalist was among those who was arrested, sparking concerns regarding press freedom and the treatment of media personnel in Pakistan.

Previously, Afghan refugees have complained of harassment, extortion and arbitrary raids by Pakistani police, especially in areas like Faisal Town, where officers allegedly carried out operations round the clock, often in casual clothes.

Rights activists have said that such actions have increased fear among refugees, many of whom have resided in Pakistan for years and do not have legal protection, Khaama Press reported.

Human rights groups have repeatedly urged Pakistan to follow due process and international refugee obligations, stressing that forced deportation could expose Afghans to serious risks.

Last week, leading human rights organisation Amnesty International urged the Pakistani government to protect Afghan refugees staying in their territory from harassment and unlawful torture by security agencies.

In an open letter to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, it expressed grave concerns over unlawful detention, harassment and deportation of Afghan refugees living there, highlighting the fact that they remain vulnerable and deserve state protection.

The organisation demanded that Pakistani authorities take proactive steps to halt the deportation of Afghan refugees and ensure that they are safeguarded as per international human rights law.

“Pakistani authorities must ensure that the rights of Afghan refugees are protected, particularly protection from arbitrary detention and eviction from refugee camps and their accommodations,” the letter to Pak PM read.

Citing the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) data, Amnesty International stated that around 110,000 refugees and asylum seekers were faced with direct threats of deportation and therefore require protection. It also shifted the focus to the vulnerability of women, journalists, and human rights activists if forcibly returned to Afghanistan.

Notably, Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for over 40 years, sheltering hundreds of thousands who fled conflict and political upheaval. However, since the launch of the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, Pakistan stepped up efforts to deport undocumented and unverified Afghans, including some with legal refugee status.

According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), 1,495,851 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan since the deportation campaign began, with nearly half, 778,739, returning in 2025 alone.

Also, similar deportation drives are taking place in nations like Iran. According to estimates, more than four million Afghans have been deported or forced to return from Pakistan and Iran since September 2023, including more than 2.6 million in 2025.

(IANS)