The order, giving Afghans until March 31 to go elsewhere in Pakistan, came on the heels of President Trump’s suspension of refugee admissions to the United States.

The Pakistan government has devised a plan to move registered Afghan refugees out of Islamabad and Rawalpindi and gradually repatriate them back to their country. Authorities have also been directed to implement the plan without making any public announcement,

Afghan refugees hold placards during a meeting to discuss their situation after President Donald Trump paused U.S. refugee programs, in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Jan. 24, 2025. Pakistan is planning a new round of deportations of Afghan refugees and asylum-seekers.

Two U.N. refugees and migration agencies have expressed their concern over Pakistan’s recent decision to forcibly deport thousands of Afghan refugees awaiting here for relocation to the United States

Pakistan government plans to relocate Afghan refugees from Islamabad and Rawalpindi back to Afghanistan, facing logistical challenges.