AfghanDoctors – Pakistan Detains Afghan Medical Professionals Amid Ongoing Deportation Campaign

AfghanDoctors –Pakistani authorities have detained a group of Afghan medical professionals despite their visa requests remaining unresolved, raising concerns over their education and legal status.

Pakistan’s immigration enforcement has intensified after authorities detained 13 Afghan doctors and one Afghan medical student in Multan, located in Punjab province. According to local media reports released on Wednesday, the group was taken into custody and transferred to a deportation centre even though their visa applications have reportedly been awaiting approval for nearly a year. The detainees claim they had complied with immigration procedures and were waiting for official decisions when the arrests took place.

Medical Professionals Await Immigration Decision

The detained individuals said they were taken into custody on Tuesday from a government hospital in Multan before being transported to a detention facility in Attock. They now face the possibility of being deported to Afghanistan.

According to the group, several members had submitted fresh visa applications, while others had requested extensions of their existing visas almost a year ago. Despite the applications remaining under review, no final response had been issued by Pakistani immigration authorities. The information was reported by Afghanistan-based news agency Khaama Press.

Concerns Over Interrupted Medical Training

The Afghan doctors said immigration officials and security agencies had repeatedly verified their documents during the past several months. However, they stated that no formal decision had been communicated regarding their legal status.

The detainees expressed concern that deportation at this stage would prevent them from completing their medical specialisation and professional training programmes in Pakistan. They appealed to both the Pakistani government and Afghan authorities to intervene and allow them to continue their studies until the completion of their academic and clinical training.

Pakistan Expands Action Against Undocumented Foreign Nationals

The arrests come as Pakistan continues to strengthen its nationwide campaign against undocumented foreign nationals, with Afghan citizens remaining the primary focus of recent enforcement measures. Over the past several months, authorities have increased detention operations and deportation efforts as part of a broader immigration policy.

Officials have maintained that individuals without valid immigration documents are subject to legal action under the country’s existing regulations. The ongoing campaign has affected thousands of Afghan nationals residing across different provinces.

Hundreds of Afghan Families Returned Through Border Crossing

In a related development, authorities confirmed that 525 Afghan families were recently repatriated from Pakistan to Afghanistan after three refugee camps in Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were fully cleared.

Additional Deputy Commissioner Umar Khittab Khan said the relocation was carried out in phases under directives issued by the provincial government. According to Pakistani newspaper Dawn, families living in the Bizan Khel, Ghoriwala and Mamand Khel refugee camps were transported to Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing.

Authorities Shift Focus to Afghan Residents Outside Camps

Officials said the next phase of the repatriation programme will target Afghan nationals residing in rented accommodation and private homes across Bannu and nearby areas. Local authorities are sharing available records with police stations to facilitate the identification and processing of individuals covered under the policy.

Pakistan’s Ministry of Interior had earlier directed law enforcement agencies to begin immediate action against Afghan nationals staying in the country without valid visas from July 10. The current measures are part of a wider deportation campaign that resumed after the government expanded its immigration policy last year, following the cancellation of a large number of residence permits issued to Afghan nationals.