Over 130,000 Afghans detained in Pakistan in 4 months: UN

KABUL (Pajhwok): The United Nations has reported that arrests and detentions of Afghan nationals in Pakistan rose by 18 per cent in January, with more than 130,000 people detained over the past four months.

According to the latest update jointly released by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM), the top three districts for arrests and detentions between January 1 and 10 were Chaghi, Pishin and Islamabad Capital Territory, Dawn reported.

The report stated that from January 4 to 10, 73 per cent of the total reported arrests and detentions occurred in Balochistan, while 16 per cent were recorded in Islamabad Capital Territory.

Of the Afghan nationals arrested and detained during the period, Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and undocumented Afghans accounted for 87 per cent of the total, while Proof of Registration (PoR) card holders made up the remaining 13 per cent.

Data released by UNHCR and IOM shows that a total of 130,999 Afghan nationals were arrested and detained between September 15 and January 10, 2026.

Most arrests were recorded in Balochistan, accounting for 68 per cent, followed by Islamabad Capital Territory with 19 per cent, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with 6 per cent, Punjab with 4 per cent and Sindh with 3 per cent.

Provincial data indicates that the highest number of arrests were made in Balochistan (1,489), followed by Islamabad Capital Territory (423), Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (127), Punjab (86) and Sindh (75).

Earlier, Afghanistan’s Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, said that more than 6.8 million Afghans had returned to the country over the past four years, while an additional 1.3 million people had been internally displaced due to natural disasters.

According to reports, Afghan migrants are currently residing in more than 100 countries worldwide, with the registered number exceeding six million. Iran, Pakistan and Germany remain the largest host countries for Afghan refugees.

hz/sa