Attachments
INTRODUCTION ARREST AND DETENTION BY YEARS
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.
• While UNHCR and IOM continue to document arrests and detentions, the rates have significantly decreased during the months of December 2023 and January 2024, in comparison to their peak in November 2023.
• In the past two weeks, the reported rate of arrest for undocumented Afghan nationals has been highest in the province of Sindh. However, since the start of 1 October 2023, the overall rate of arrest remains highest for the province of Balochistan.