Pakistan

Starting in 2006, Pakistan started providing Proof of Registration (PoR) cards to Afghan refugees, which allowed them to temporarily stay in the country legally and meet the documentary requirements for birth registration. The cards were originally set to expire in 2017, but were extended. The Pakistani government stopped extending PoR on June 30, 2025, and all card holders lost legal status in the country. The PoR cards were held by at least 1.4 million Afghan refugees. Those whose PoR have expired face deportation, and are unable to meet documentary requirements to acquire birth certificates for their children in Pakistan. Even before the PoR cards expired, the CRC (2009) expressed concern about the practice of denying birth registration when parents cannot prove their citizenship. The committee (2016) also expressed concern about the lack of effective measures to ensure the birth registration of children belonging to marginalized and disadvantaged groups, including refugee children.