A new wave of arrests targeting Afghan migrants has begun in Islamabad, as police carried out raids across several areas of the city on Saturday, including the B-17 township.
Dozens of Afghan families were reportedly detained and taken into custody.
The arrests follow a recent increase in deportations of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, including journalists and civil society activists.
Sources in Islamabad told Afghanistan International that B-17 township is home to a number of former Afghan employees who previously worked with US forces in Afghanistan. Among those detained were women, children, and individuals with medical conditions.
The crackdown comes amid the suspension of visa renewals and extensions for Afghan nationals. Many migrants in Pakistan now face an uncertain legal status, as their visas have expired and new permits are no longer being issued.
The growing pressure on Afghan migrants has raised concerns among international observers, as families fear arrest and forced return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Human rights organisations have warned that such deportations could expose returnees to serious risks, including violence and persecution.
Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has signalled that a new and accelerated phase of deportations is imminent, with no plans to extend the legal stay of undocumented Afghans.
The United Nations and humanitarian groups have issued repeated warnings that mass deportations are exacerbating poverty and hunger among Afghan returnees. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, nearly two million Afghans have been expelled from Iran and Pakistan over the past seven months.
