PESHAWAR: Repatriation of Afghan nationals under the Illegal foreigners’ repatriation programme (IFRP) is gaining momentum as authorities in different districts have arrested a large number of them and are sending them back to their home country.

Official repatriation data released on Tuesday night showed that over 4,400 Afghans left for their country through the Torkham border crossing during the day. The data showed that of them, 1,768 were holders of Proof of Registration cards, 616 Afghan Citizen Card holders, and 2,080 were individuals illegally staying.

Meanwhile, the Swabi district administration, in coordination with the police, arrested 350 Afghans over the last three days, who were later deported to their country.

Sources said there were still around 1,200 Afghans living in Swabi.

Over 4,400 refugees return to their country in a single day

Swabi Deputy Commissioner Dr Tariqullah told Dawn that the remaining Afghan nationals would be traced and deported to their country as soon as possible.

“The government policy is clear that no Afghan can live here anymore,” he said. “The search for the remaining foreign nationals in the district is underway.”

DSP Fazal Sher Khan warned the residents of arrest if they sheltered Afghan nationals or rented their houses to them.

“We have instructed SHOs to continue the crackdown on Afghans within their limits,” he said.

Also, the authorities in Haripur district have arrested over three dozen undocumented Afghan nationals during a crackdown, police and officials at the deputy commissioner’s office told Dawn on Wednesday.

The arrested Afghans were moved to a holding centre in Peshawar for onward deportation to their native country.

The police said that during the last four days, 46 Afghan individuals were arrested under Section 14 of the Foreigners Act and sent to the holding centre. They said that with the help of different government departments and agencies, the hunt for illegally staying Afghan nationals in different localities was going on, and all those who were living without visas or had their visas expired would be arrested and deported to their country.

According to official sources, under the voluntary repatriation process of temporarily displaced Afghan nationals from Haripur district, over 90 per cent of Afghans have been sent to their native country by the end of February.

By the end of 2025, according to sources, three officially designated refugee camps of Paniyan, Baso Maira and Padhana housed 63,547 individuals, and another 13,000 lived in rented houses across the district.

However, the police and the district administration claim that over 90pc of Afghans have moved to their homeland under the voluntary repatriation scheme, while the operation for the arrest and deportation of a few undocumented Afghans hiding in different localities was underway.

Meanwhile, in Mohmand district, seven Afghan families, comprising 27 individuals, were repatriated to Afghanistan from the Salor Naqi area of Ekkaghund tehsil the other day.

Officials said the repatriation was carried out in accordance with the government’s ongoing policy for the return of foreign nationals.

The process remained peaceful and orderly, with the district administration overseeing the necessary arrangements and the police ensuring security throughout the operation.

The families were facilitated during the departure process before being escorted towards the border for their onward journey to Afghanistan.

Officials said that the district administration and law enforcement agencies continued to coordinate closely to ensure that the repatriation process was conducted in a safe, dignified and organised manner.

Meanwhile, a UNHCR-IOM flash update of repatriation issued on July 9 stated that from June 28 to July 4, 19,130 Afghans had returned to their country through the Torkham and Ghulam Khan border crossings in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Chaman, Badini and Bahramcha points in Balochistan.

It said that during the same period, the number of returns increased by 59pc and deportations increased by 299pc — compared to the previous June 21-27 week, when 12,022 individuals returned to their country, including 411 deportations. The update said that 19,130 returns were reported from June 28 to July 4, including 1,638 deportations.

“The increase in returns and deportations is primarily linked to heightened fears around a potential renewed July 10 deadline, alongside an increase in operations during the reporting period,” the update said.

Published in Dawn, July 16th, 2026