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INTRODUCTION
In response to the Ministry of Interior's (MoI) decision of 26 September 2023 to enact an “Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan”, UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency and IOM, the UN Migration Agency, have collated their data on the arrest, detention, and deportation of Proof of Registration (PoR) holders, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, and undocumented Afghan nationals as well as on the outflows of Afghan nationals at the Torkham and Chaman border crossing points, to better understand the protection environment and movements of Afghan nationals returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan.
KEY FINDINGS AND LIMITATIONS
It is important to note that prior to 2023, there was no data collected on the arrest and detention of ACC holders or undocumented Afghan nationals. Since January 2023, IOM has started to collect this data, which should be considered indicative at this point. The figures, particularly of undocumented Afghan nationals, should be considered underreported.
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Thus far in 2023, 30,448 Afghan nationals have been arrested, a figure exceeding any previous year since data has been collected on arrest and detention of Afghan nationals.
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Over the last week, there has been a 6.5% decrease in the number of reported arrests, in comparison to the week before.
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During the reporting period, the rate of arrest reported has been highest in the province of Balochistan. However, it is important to nuance this figure by noting that some Afghan nationals may be recorded as being arrested in Balochistan while having come from Karachi.
In addition to arrest, detention, and deportation, UNHCR and IOM continue to receive reports of Afghan nationals facing forcible eviction, extortion, and harassment.