Nearly 5,000 Afghan nationals were deported from Pakistan and Iran on Wednesday, according to the Taliban’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues, underscoring the ongoing challenges faced by Afghan migrants across the region.
The commission reported that 3,105 individuals were expelled from Pakistan, while another 1,873 were sent back from Iran. The deportations occurred via several key border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Angoor Ada, Pul-e-Abrisham, and Islam Qala.
Upon re-entering Afghanistan, the returnees received a total of 7 million Afghanis in humanitarian assistance, the commission stated. Additionally, 666 of the deported individuals were relocated from Kabul to nine provinces, including Ghazni, Balkh, Jowzjan, Baghlan, Takhar, Kunduz, Logar, Paktia, and Paktika.
This mass return adds to a growing wave of deportations amid heightened scrutiny of migrant treatment in neighbouring countries. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), over 250,000 Afghans were forced to return from Iran and Pakistan during April alone.
The UN has voiced concern over the precarious conditions many returnees now face, particularly women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian and socio-politico-economic crises.
