For decades, Pakistan has received displaced Afghans, creating one of the most protracted refugee crises in the world. But since the Taliban’s takeover, Pakistan has actively pushed back against new arrivals, reflecting the fears of a state burdened by the cost of hosting refugees and paranoid about its national security. Afghans are often scapegoated by the government and large sections of the public in Pakistan’s fight against economic uncertainty and extremism. As the humanitarian situation across the border spirals, options for Afghans seeking refuge in Pakistan are limited. Most of Pakistan’s border with its neighbour is fenced and managed by the army and other paramilitary forces. Still, Afghans are finding their way into Pakistan, with no formal plans for the way back home. Recently, Afghan state-run news agency Bakhtar has reported over 60,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan since January, the majority from Iran and now from Pakistan after the government permitted refugees to cross the Torkham border without valid travel documents on humanitarian grounds. The return of refugees has been encouraged by the caretaker Afghan government, which has urged Afghans living abroad to contribute to a country still reeling from twenty years of war. With Eid-ul-Adha approaching, many Afghans stranded across various swathes of Pakistan have expressed a desire to return home but their wishes were not indulged by the Pakistani government, which has sought to impose stricter measures at the border. Chaman, which usually allows visa-free transit for Afghans from certain border areas, has been intentionally closed for months. But now it seems that we’ve finally opened ourselves up to the idea of humanitarian concessions, an unforeseen development that comes against a backdrop of unprecedented tensions with our Taliban-governed neighbour. Contrary to popular belief, many Afghans who fled to Pakistan in the wake of the War on Terror feel that their home country is more secure under the militant Taliban. Indeed, it would be naive to assume that Pakistan’s motives are entirely altruistic. It doesn’t help either country to house thousands of illegal nationals at the border, especially those eager to return home and perhaps resume their lives in Afghanistan.