Punjab sends 138,000 illegal Afghan residents back

Punjab’s Home Department has continued operations against illegally residing Afghan nationals as part of the government’s repatriation campaign.

According to the Punjab Home Department’s Foreign National Security Cell, illegal Afghan residents are being detained and shifted to holding centres before completing required documentation and being sent back to Afghanistan.

Officials said that so far, a total of 2,588,016 Afghan nationals have been repatriated from Pakistan, including 138,342 from Punjab.

The department stated that under the government’s policy, Afghan citizens without valid visas or legal documents are considered illegal residents.

Authorities have conducted checks in residential areas and markets across Punjab to identify individuals staying in the country without proper documentation.

Those detained are being moved to holding centres, where temporary accommodation, registration and repatriation arrangements are being provided.

The Punjab government has established 36 holding centres across the province. Currently, 53 Afghan nationals are present in these centres and will be sent back through the Torkham border crossing.

The Home Department said the figures reflect the province’s administrative measures and efforts to implement the national repatriation policy.

Officials urged citizens to cooperate with the campaign and report cases involving illegal stay, identity document fraud or suspicious activities through emergency helpline 15.

The department assured that the identity of informants would remain confidential.

Authorities clarified that the action is only directed against individuals residing in Pakistan illegally, while those with valid legal status are not part of the campaign.

The Foreign National Security Cell of Punjab’s Home Department is continuing monitoring and coordination efforts across the province to support the implementation of the repatriation process.