PESHAWAR: More than 465,000 Afghan nationals voluntarily returned to Afghanistan via the Torkham border in 2025, while thousands were denied entry or deported due to illegal stay and documentation issues, according to official figures released by the FIA Immigration.
The report states that a total of 1,007,530 passengers crossed the Torkham border during 2025. Of these, 547,727 Afghan and other foreign nationals entered Pakistan on valid visas and passports, while 459,803 passengers exited the country through the same route.
According to the data, 465,121 Afghan citizens returned to their homeland voluntarily, whereas 51,736 undocumented Afghans were detained and deported as part of Pakistan’s ongoing enforcement against illegal residency.
Authorities also confiscated 40,908 Proof of Registration (PoR) and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC), which were later handed over to the Afghan Commissionerate. In addition, 287 individuals wanted by law enforcement agencies were arrested at the Torkham border during the year.
The report further revealed that 277 passengers were offloaded, while 1,595 travellers were denied entry after attempting to cross the border using fake or forged documents.
Despite strict controls, humanitarian access remained in place, with 36,070 Afghan patients allowed entry into Pakistan to receive treatment at the Pak-Afghan Friendship Hospital near the border.
Officials said the figures reflect both enhanced border management and Pakistan’s continued facilitation of legal travel and humanitarian movement amid evolving regional challenges.