In a nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration, a Pakistani province is setting targets for police to arrest and deport hundreds of thousands of Afghans who are in the country without legal permission. This measure comes after a sharp decline in the expulsion of Afghans living in Pakistan illegally. Near the Chaman border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan, local residents have been protesting against new travel visa requirements that aim to reduce illegal immigration, causing disruptions in the area's traffic. Authorities have instructed the police to arrest Afghans living in Pakistan illegally, and they have been asked to deport 10,000 Afghans per day.

Some individuals targeted for deportation have reportedly sought refuge in remote areas of Pakistan to avoid arrest. Since the crackdown was announced in October, over 400,000 Afghans have returned to their home country. Pakistani officials assure that they are only deporting foreigners, including Afghans, who are in the country illegally, and the approximately 1.4 million Afghans who are registered refugees should not worry as they are not the main target of the anti-migrant initiative. Pakistan has been hosting Afghans since the 1980s when millions fled to the country during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.

The influx of Afghans dramatically increased after the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021. As part of the crackdown, Pakistan has stopped recognizing special permits that allowed residents in the border town of Chaman to cross between the two countries. This move has angered residents who have been rallying near the border, disrupting normal traffic. Meanwhile, in Afghanistan, the Taliban-led administration claims to provide shelter and food to returnees. However, Afghan refugees have complained of mistreatment by Pakistani soldiers after returning home.

The alleged mistreatment of migrants by Pakistani authorities has drawn widespread condemnation from human rights organizations. Human Rights Watch has accused Pakistani officials of creating a coercive environment for Afghans, forcing them to return to life-threatening conditions in Afghanistan. The organization called on Pakistani authorities to immediately end the abuses and give Afghans facing expulsion the opportunity to seek protection in Pakistan. Pakistani authorities have denied these allegations and state that anyone found guilty of mistreating Afghan immigrants without legal status will be punished. According to spokesperson Jan Achakzai, migrants who are in the country illegally are held at deportation centers in a dignified manner before being transported to border crossings to return home.