Pakistan deported 2,962 Afghan migrants, according to the Taliban’s High Commission for Addressing Migrant Issues. The majority—2,100 individuals—were sent back through the Torkham border, while 862 crossed back via Spin Boldak.
In an update issued Friday, April 18, the commission confirmed that 299 families, totaling 1,606 people, have since been resettled across various Afghan provinces including Ghazni, Baghlan, Takhar, Jowzjan, Kunduz, Logar, Khost, Paktia, and Paktika.
On the same day, Iran deported 139 Afghan families—542 people—via the Islam Qala crossing. The commission stated it has distributed 6.794 million Afghanis in financial assistance to 838 returning families.
In a separate report, the commission revealed that on Wednesday, April 16, another 5,136 Afghan migrants were expelled from Pakistan—3,500 via Torkham and 1,636 through Spin Boldak.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has raised concerns about the escalating number of deportations, reporting that over 60,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Pakistan in the past two weeks alone. The agency stressed the urgent need for humanitarian support and called on the international community to respond.
Mutya Izora Maskun, IOM’s Deputy Chief of Mission for Operations, noted a sharp spike in forced returns since April 4, with women and children making up the majority of those deported.
