Even before the announcement by the government of Pakistan, a large number of illegal Afghans have been going back to Afghanistan from Pakistan for fear of arrest.
As per data, 1638 Afghan citizens—425 men, 377 women, and 836 children—went to their country, as of Dec 17, including 86 families in 71 vehicles.
The total number of illegal Afghans who left Pakistan has reached 436,790 and the return is ongoing.