Afghan refugee graduates who studied in Pakistan on PoR cards now face rejection of their degrees for attestation, as new passport and visa rules under the repatriation plan leave their hard-earned qualifications in limbo and futures uncertain.

Thousands of Afghan refugee students who have completed higher education in Pakistani universities now face a bureaucratic wall that threatens to render their degrees useless. After years of study under Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, they cannot get academic documents attested by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs without a valid Afghan passport and visa – documents many lack.

The crisis stems from policy shifts following Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan (IFRP), announced in 2023 and intensified in later phases. Students admitted legally with PoR cards find those same documents rejected at the final stage of validating their qualifications.

Years of Struggle Meet New Barriers

For 26-year-old Ruaf Jan, admission to the University of Peshawar represented the culmination of determination and sacrifice. Born and raised in Pakistan as an Afghan refugee, he enrolled using his PoR card. He completed BS and MS degrees, only to discover the document that secured his place is no longer accepted for attestation.

“I am very worried about my future,” Ruaf told reporters. “I reached this stage after facing many hardships and secured admission on merit using my PoR card. Now I cannot attest my degrees with the same document.” His application was rejected by the HEC, which now demands a passport and visa. He applied for an Afghan visa months earlier but has received nothing.

The financial burden compounds the problem. Attesting documents from matriculation through university level, including steps involving educational boards and the Afghan Consulate, can cost more than Rs 50,000 – beyond the means of many refugee families. Without attestation, Ruaf fears his qualifications will not be recognised if he returns to Afghanistan, wasting years of effort.

Similar fears haunt 24-year-old Muqadas Ahmadzai, a recent Computer Science graduate from Abasyn University in Peshawar. As an Afghan woman who grew up in Pakistan, she overcame significant cultural and practical hurdles to reach university. She too used a PoR card for admission and completed her BS degree. Now the HEC requires a passport and visa she cannot easily obtain.

“If I go to Afghanistan without attested documents, all my dreams and my educational journey will be wasted,” she said. Her family is preparing to return under current policies, leaving her credentials in limbo.

Policy Shift After September 2025

An HEC representative confirmed the change: after September 2025, Afghan refugee graduates can no longer apply for degree attestation using PoR cards. Applications must be submitted online with a valid passport and visa. Many submissions based on PoR cards have been rejected, the representative confirmed..

This reversal affects students who completed studies under the previous framework. Pakistani universities and the HEC previously accepted PoR and Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC) for admission, examinations, and even the issuance of degrees. The same credentials are now deemed insufficient for verification. Reports from early 2026 highlighted the same issue, with students from institutions including the University of Peshawar left uncertain about employment, further studies, or recognition of their qualifications upon return.

The IFRP has accelerated returns. Phases targeting undocumented Afghans, ACC holders, and eventually PoR cardholders have led to hundreds of thousands leaving Pakistan. PoR cards, once the primary identity document for registered refugees, were not renewed after mid-2025 in many cases, stripping holders of legal status. Refugee villages were de-notified, and access to services tightened.

Broader Impact on Refugee Education

Afghan refugees have long faced barriers to education in Pakistan. While PoR cards previously facilitated university quotas and enrolment for some, documentation gaps, costs, and policy shifts have limited access, especially for girls. Completion rates for refugee children lag far behind host communities, with secondary education particularly constrained.

For those who reached higher education, the attestation requirement creates a final, decisive obstacle. Graduates cannot easily pursue jobs in Pakistan or abroad, nor secure recognition in Afghanistan, where verification processes have faced their own disruptions under Taliban authorities. Some students report difficulties even obtaining basic verification from Afghan institutions.

Women graduates face heightened risks. In Afghanistan, restrictions on female education and employment make return especially precarious. Degrees earned in Pakistan represent hard-won opportunities that may become unusable without proper attestation.

Costs and logistics add further strain. The multi-step process – board countersignatures, HEC verification, Ministry of Foreign Affairs attestation, and consular involvement – demands time, travel, and money many refugee households cannot spare while preparing for possible deportation or voluntary return.

Calls for Policy Review

Affected graduates have appealed for the Pakistani government to reinstate PoR-based attestation for those who completed studies under the earlier system. They argue that admission, study, and graduation occurred under accepted legal status, so the final validation step should not impose new, unobtainable requirements.

“It was already difficult for refugee students to complete university education in Pakistan,” Ruaf said. “Now thousands of graduates are facing another obstacle. We request the government to allow degree attestation through PoR cards because this is a question of our future.”

As of early August 2026, students report waiting since September 2025 for any policy clarification. Without it, academic credentials remain suspended between two countries’ systems. Those who return without attested documents risk finding their Pakistani qualifications unrecognised, while those who stay face restricted legal status and limited opportunities.

Uncertain Futures for a Generation

The situation reflects the wider pressures of prolonged displacement and shifting host-country policies. Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans for decades, providing education access that enabled a generation of refugee youth – many born in the country – to pursue degrees. The IFRP and subsequent documentation rules have altered that pathway abruptly.

International organisations have documented the vulnerabilities: high rates of poverty, documentation gaps, and barriers to services among the remaining refugee population. Education outcomes remain low overall, making the achievements of university graduates particularly significant – and their potential loss even more acute.

For individuals like Ruaf and Muqadas, the issue is immediate and personal. Years of study, financial sacrifice by families, and personal resilience culminate in documents that cannot be fully validated. Employment prospects, further education, and even the simple recognition of hard work hang in the balance.

Until authorities address the mismatch between admission rules of the past and attestation requirements of the present, thousands of Afghan refugee graduates will continue to wait, their degrees at risk of becoming paper without practical value. The longer the uncertainty lasts, the greater the chance that educational investments made in Pakistan will fail to translate into futures either in Pakistan or in Afghanistan.