LAHORE: The federal government and the Punjab government have deported some 2.59 million illegally staying Afghan residents back to Afghanistan since 2023.

The Punjab home department’s foreign national security cell is continuing with the eviction of the illegally staying Afghans and currently has some 53 such Afghans in its 36 functional holding centres across the province.

The Punjab government alone has detained some 138,342 Afghans in its holding centres, completed their documents and deported them to Afghanistan.

A home department spokesman has said the federal government’s policy clearly explained that anyone not having a valid visa could not stay in the country and needed to be deported.

The spokesman claimed that the home department had completed its survey and examination in markets as well as residential areas. The illegally staying Afghans were being arrested and detained at holding centres. At holding centres, the spokesman said, the arrested Afghans were being provided with stay, registration and arrangements for deportation through the Torkham border.

The spokesman stressed that people of Punjab should report about the illegally staying Afghans at emergency call 15 and added that their identity would not be disclosed to anyone.

Published in Dawn, July 13th, 2026