Deportation drive sparks 'sense of panic' among Afghan refugees in Pakistan: UNHCR

A worker from the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA), speaks to residents while verifying their identity cards on an online tab, during a door to door search and verification drive for undocumented Afghan nationals, in an Afghan Camp on the outskirts of Karachi, Pakistan, November 21, 2023. REUTERS/Akhtar Soomro

KARACHI (Reuters) - The U.N. refugee agency on Tuesday expressed concern over widespread distress in large Afghan refugee communities across Pakistan where authorities are conducting searches to round up and expel undocumented foreigners.

Islamabad last month announced it would expel over a million undocumented refugees, mostly Afghans, amid a row with Kabul over charges it harbours anti-Pakistan militants. Over 370,000 Afghans have fled Pakistan since Oct. 1.