Afghanistan, Aug. 9 -- At the Torkham border, where Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa meets Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province, the usual hum of trade and travel has given way to scenes of quiet desperation. Tens of thousands of Afghan families-exhausted, anxious, and often without resources-are returning to a homeland many fled decades ago, or have never seen. Their journey is not one of hope, but of forced return.
Thousands of Afghans in Pakistan, including many who sought refuge after the fall of Kabul to the Taliban in August 2021, now face an uncertain future under the government's renewed Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan. Revived in late 2023, the policy has triggered a nationwide crackdown on undocumented Afghan refugees. In April alo...