India, July 12 -- Pakistan has forced more than 5.4 million Afghans out of the country since October 2023, in what has become one of the largest mass expulsions of refugees in recent history, driven by a volatile mix of security fears tied to cross-border militancy, deepening economic strain, and an escalating conflict with Afghanistan's Taliban government.
The current wave of deportations traces back to Pakistan's "Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan," first announced in October 2023, when Islamabad ordered all foreign nationals without valid documentation to leave the country or face forced removal. At the time, an estimated 3.8 to 4.4 million Afghans were living in Pakistan, according to United Nations and government figures, with Afg...