Fact-check: False posts claim UNHCR has ended services for refugees in Pakistan

A message circulating in WhatsApp groups in Pakistan claims that from August 17, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has ended all its services assisting Afghan refugees in the country. The rumor began circulating shortly after Pakistan announced the deportation of over 1.3 million Afghan refugees holding Proof of Registration (PoR) cards from September 1.

The claim is false.

Claim

Posts shared online and in WhatsApp groups allege that: “The United Nations subsidiary, the UNHCR, has ended its services for Afghan refugees in Pakistan from August 17, 2025.”

A UNHCR logo was also added to the text to make it appear authentic.

Fact

The claim is untrue. The UNHCR continues to provide services to Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, the organisation confirmed.

Qaiser Khan Afridi, spokesperson for UNHCR in Islamabad, told Geo Fact Check over the phone that the rumors were “fake". “We have already clarified this on our social media, including Facebook,” Afridi said. “We have disowned the claim.”

He added that UNHCR’s operations are ongoing as usual and all programs are running routinely.

“UNHCR has been operating in Pakistan since 1979, continuing its regular activities and supporting refugees through programs and projects,” Afridi said.

The UNHCR also refuted the claim on its official Facebook page, labeling it as false. The statement can be read here.

Verdict: The claim that the UNHCR has halted its services for Afghan refugees in Pakistan is incorrect. The organisation’s operations continue as normal, and it has officially dismissed the viral post as fake.

Follow us on @GeoFactCheck on X (Twitter) and @geo_factcheck on Instagram. If our readers detect any errors, we encourage them to contact us at [email protected]