ISLAMABAD: Despite mass deportations, many expelled Afghans are secretly returning to Pakistan, driven by fear, poverty, and a desperate search for stability.
Over the past two years, Pakistan has deported more than a million Afghan nationals.
Yet thousands have come back, unwilling to face what they call a life-threatening existence in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
One such man, 46-year-old Hayatullah (name changed), was deported in early 2024 through the Torkham crossing in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He returned just weeks later through Chaman, paying a bribe to slip back across the border.
“Going back there would be sentencing my family to death,” he said.
His daughters, aged 16 and 18, are banned from school in Afghanistan, and there is little access to work or services.
Peshawar Preferred for Safety
After re-entering Pakistan, Hayatullah moved his family to Peshawar, where, he says, police harassment is less severe than in cities like Islamabad.
Another Afghan, Samad Khan, also returned illegally.
Born in Lahore, he was deported in April 2025 — his first-ever visit to Afghanistan.
“There’s no work, no relatives, no life,” he said.
After a brief attempt to survive in Afghanistan, he paid Rs50,000 to sneak back using a Pakistani employee’s ID.
He returned to Lahore, collected his family, and resettled in Peshawar, where he started a used shoe business.
“The environment here is much better,” he added.
Reintegration in Afghanistan Called ‘Challenging’
Accurate data on re-entry is scarce, but anecdotal reports suggest many deported Afghans are finding ways back into Pakistan.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) confirmed cases of returnees re-migrating due to poor conditions.
The UN agency warns that reintegration remains “challenging” in areas with limited basic services, education, and economic opportunities.
As poverty worsens and pressure mounts, experts fear the cycle of forced return and illegal re-entry will continue.
