In 2024, Allahmir Miakhel, manager and facilitator at the Afghan Refugees Model Community Centre in Kohat — a city in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province — helped enrol approximately 1,665 Afghan students into high school in a bid to ensure they completed their education.
With more than 90,000 Afghan refugees living in the area, Allahmir says he has consistently worked on development and education initiatives to uplift members of his community both socially and economically.
Inside the centre, he is supported by one female and five male teachers, in addition to himself. Together, they conduct both educational and recreational classes for children and adults within the Afghan refugee community.
But the work comes at a cost.
“I’ve received threats for my work and have been told to stop educating women and girls,” he reveals.
In sharing this, Allahmir emphasises that although he was born in Kohat and considers it the only home he has ever known, he recognises that, despite his deep connection to the community and the work he does, he will never truly be accepted because he is Afghan.
This feeling is especially strong because of recent changes in Pakistan and the US’s policies on Afghan refugees. Over the past year, these policy shifts have made life harder for Allahmir Miakhel’s community and Afghans across Pakistan.
However, the struggles Afghan refugees face in Pakistan are far from new.
One of the reasons Allahmir has dedicated himself to education is the widespread discrimination many Afghans face — particularly those who are undocumented or hold Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). These individuals are barred from attending Pakistani schools and denied access to healthcare, putting them at even greater risk.
With increasingly restrictive policies now in place, many Afghan refugees in Pakistan are facing even deeper uncertainty about their futures.
Since April 1, more than 100,000 Afghans have been forcibly returned to Afghanistan, out of an estimated three million Afghan nationals living in Pakistan.
For months, the Pakistani government has blamed rising violence in border regions on 'Afghan-backed perpetrators,' arguing that the country can no longer support such a large migrant population.
“Pakistan has mistreated us over the last three deportation phases,” Allahmir tells The New Arab.
Mental health concerns
As Allahmir puts it, along with countless others who know no other home, being sent 'back' to Afghanistan offers no relief.
Instead, it has triggered a surge in mental health issues among Afghan refugees.
Waheed Ludin, a POR cardholder herself, has been involved in community work since 2010, focusing on issues such as gender-based violence and broader support for Afghan refugees.
She points out that the shifting American policies have placed many Afghans at greater risk, with many of her fellow community members feeling more vulnerable than in previous years.
While Waheed acknowledges that POR cardholders like herself feel somewhat safer than those with ACCs or no documentation, she stresses that this status does not guarantee protection.
“Afghans living in urban areas are still better off, but those in camps like Sohrab Goth or Sultanabad face the most frequent raids. Even if people have POR cards, police sometimes threaten to confiscate them and classify them as undocumented,” she tells The New Arab.
Waheed adds that many Afghans continue to live in fear, haunted by past trauma and uncertain about their future.
“Afghan refugees do not know their own rights. Even for me as an Afghan woman, there’s a fear inside me,” she says. “Most Afghans here are uneducated and already struggling due to circumstances in Afghanistan. Mental health issues are currently peaking.”
This is why Waheed collaborates with Karwan-e-Hayat, a mental health advocacy organisation that supports refugees in need of psychological care.
Dr Asma Zarin, a psychiatrist at Karwan-e-Hayat, explains that many of their patients present with deep psychological trauma.
“We should provide mental health care not only in camps but also in proper centres and spaces where Afghan refugees can go without having to worry about their documents being checked, creating medical safe zones,” she says.
Dr Asma recounts numerous cases of families affected by abrupt policy changes in both Pakistan and the US.
From sudden deportations to cancelled flights, the instability has triggered an increase in mental health problems, especially among women, some of whom have been rendered mute by extreme stress.
'Who else can I turn to?'
In recent developments, Pakistan’s latest policy shift set an early April deadline for the departure of around 800,000 individuals holding Afghan Citizen Cards (ACCs), which were issued by Pakistani authorities. Thousands have already been expelled under similar initiatives in the past two years.
So far, no updated policy has been announced for Proof of Registration (POR) cardholders, although the government has extended their stay until June.
In light of these developments, between September 2023 and February 2025, a systematic government crackdown on Afghan nationals has resulted in the deportation of nearly 850,000 Afghans from Pakistan — including women and children.
These developments followed the Trump administration’s decision to suspend refugee resettlement programmes, leaving thousands of Afghans waiting for visas and approvals, and putting them in an even worse position, as Pakistan has stated it will deport all Afghans denied US resettlement.
That being said, refugee rights and immigration policies have become contentious issues globally. In Pakistan's case, its deportation efforts have faced sharp criticism from international human rights groups.
Barrister Rida Tahir points out that Pakistan’s own constitution includes rights that must be upheld.
“There are some articles in Pakistan’s constitution that apply to citizens, but others refer to any person in Pakistan,” she explains, highlighting the right to security and the right to life and liberty.
Commenting on Trump’s new resettlement order and its impact, Rida adds: “It will take time before we can fully understand how these changes will affect the rest of the world.”
For now, however, the trauma faced by Afghan refugees in Pakistan remains ongoing.
Allahmir, whose own community is directly affected, argues that the increasingly hostile environment is forcing many Afghans into desperate situations.
With limited options, some may turn to militant organisations for help, particularly if they are deported back to Afghanistan, where the risks are equally dire.
“If Pakistan deports me, I have ten family members who depend on me. Who else can I turn to but militant organisations?” he says.
Anmol Irfan is a freelance journalist with bylines in VICE, HUCK, and The Guardian among others. She has experience writing on minority politics, activism, and gender issues. She is also the founder of the Pakistani community platform, Perspectives Magazine
Follow her on X: @anmolirfan22