In a quiet park in central Islamabad, hundreds of Afghan families live in makeshift tents, clinging to a hope that is slipping away: the chance to rebuild their lives in a safer country.
These refugees, many of whom fled Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, had counted on resettlement programs in the United States and other nations. But shifting immigration policies have stalled their applications, leaving them stranded in Pakistan—without a path forward and no safe way back.
Voices From a Temporary Home
Argentina Park, once a public gathering space, is now home to around 300 Afghan families. Among them is Samia, a 24-year-old from Baghlan province. She escaped Afghanistan in early 2022, fearing for her safety, and gave birth to her son, Daniyal, in Pakistan.
“We thought we’d find a future here, but Pakistan isn’t home for us either,” Samia said, cradling her baby.
Her story is echoed by former Afghan police officers who once enjoyed stable government jobs but became targets under Taliban rule. Pari Noori, who served eight years, and Shehnaz Alizadeh, a veteran of 14 years, both fled after threats escalated.
“We had jobs, security, and dignity,” Noori said. “Now, we have nothing.”
The Numbers Behind the Crisis
Pakistan has hosted Afghan refugees for decades, with many arriving as children during earlier waves of conflict. Today, an estimated 1.3 million Afghans hold Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, while another 750,000 carry Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). Some have spent their entire lives in Pakistan without ever visiting Afghanistan.
But since late 2023, Islamabad has hardened its stance. Under the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan, Pakistan has revoked hundreds of thousands of temporary residence permits, triggering a mass exodus.
- Over 1 million Afghans have been forced to leave since 2023.
- 200,000 more have been deported or pressured to leave since April this year.
- Iran has conducted a similar crackdown, deporting 1.5 million Afghans.
Officials defend the policy as necessary for national security and economic stability, but human rights groups have raised concerns that deported Afghans are being sent back into danger, especially women and those who worked for the former Afghan government or international organizations.
Living in Limbo
For the Afghans still in Pakistan, life has narrowed to a waiting game. Aid is limited, jobs are scarce, and even those with valid refugee documentation face harassment and eviction threats.
Many fear arrest if they venture beyond their camps, while their dreams of resettlement grow dimmer by the day.
“We have nowhere to go,” Alizadeh said. “Every day feels like the last day we can stay.”
Without renewed international support or a shift in policy, Pakistan’s Afghan refugee community faces a stark choice: stay undocumented and vulnerable, or return to a homeland where their safety is far from guaranteed.