More than 86,000 Afghan nationals have been arrested or detained in Pakistan so far this year, while more than 812,000 have returned to Afghanistan, according to new figures from the UN refugee and migration agencies.
A joint update by UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration shows that 86,644 Afghans were arrested or detained across Pakistan between Jan. 1 and Oct. 17. Of those, 82,526 were Afghan Citizen Card holders or undocumented Afghans, while 4,118 were Proof of Registration card holders or asylum-seekers.
Balochistan accounted for 55% of the arrests and detentions this year, followed by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 19%, Sindh with 11%, Punjab with 8% and Islamabad with 6%.
Chaghi district in Balochistan recorded the highest number, with 35,740 arrests or detentions, followed by Peshawar with 11,546 and Karachi with 8,650.
During the most recent reporting period, from Oct. 11 to 17, 517 Afghan nationals were arrested or detained, a 47% decline from the previous week. ACC holders and undocumented Afghans accounted for 97% of those cases.
The report also documents the continuing return of Afghans from Pakistan.
UNHCR and IOM estimate that 812,131 Afghans returned to Afghanistan between Jan. 1 and Oct. 17 this year. Of those, 85,821 were deported.
During the week from Oct. 11 to 17, 3,883 Afghans returned through the Torkham, Chaman and Bahramcha border crossings, including 499 who were deported.
Returns fell 10% from the previous week, while deportations dropped 48%.
The report shows that fear of arrest remains the main factor driving many Afghans to leave Pakistan. Among undocumented Afghans and ACC holders surveyed, 95% cited fear of arrest as a reason for leaving. Among PoR holders, 68% cited fear of harassment, arrest or deportation.
Since April 1, 2025, nearly 1.9 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan, including 237,387 who were deported, according to the agencies.
Since September 2023, when Pakistan announced its “Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan,” more than 2.74 million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan. Of those, 278,758 were deported.
The agencies said most Afghans returning during the latest reporting week were undocumented, accounting for 83% of returns. ACC holders accounted for 9% and PoR holders for 8%.
The largest shares of recent returnees came from Quetta, Peshawar and Nowshera. Nangarhar was the most common intended destination in Afghanistan, accounting for 29% of returnees, followed by Kabul at 22% and Kunduz at 13%.
Pakistan has expanded measures affecting Afghan nationals since launching its repatriation plan in 2023. In 2025, authorities moved to include ACC holders and later PoR card holders in repatriation and deportation measures after the validity of PoR cards expired.
UNHCR has expressed concern over the measures and urged Pakistan to exempt Afghans with international protection needs and those facing particular vulnerabilities from involuntary return.
The agencies cautioned that arrest and detention figures for undocumented Afghans are likely underreported.
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