At least 355 migrant families returned to Afghanistan on Friday from neighboring Iran and Pakistan, according to a report by the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency. The families were either forcibly expelled or voluntarily repatriated, the agency reported.
Of the total, 29 families re-entered Afghanistan via the Torkham crossing with Pakistan, while 31 crossed at Spin Boldak. Additionally, 75 families returned through the Delaram border with Iran, and 220 others re-entered the country via the Islam Qala border crossing.
The report follows complaints from Afghan families deported by Pakistan, who alleged that police confiscated their belongings during the deportation process.
According to a United Nations report, nearly 700,000 Afghan migrants returned from Pakistan between September 2023 and July 2024. The surge in returns has raised concerns over the treatment of Afghan migrants in the region and the challenges they face upon their return.
