KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 388 Afghan migrant families returned to Afghanistan last week, either forcibly or voluntarily, from neighboring Pakistan and Iran, according to data released by Taliban-run media agencies.
The statistics indicate that Iran expelled or saw the return of 297 families, while Pakistan expelled 91 families over a five-day period. The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency did not release data for Sunday and Wednesday, leaving the figures incomplete.
Of those returning, 48 families crossed back into Afghanistan via the Torkham border and 43 families through the Spin Boldak route, both along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border. Meanwhile, 138 families entered via the Pul-e-Abrisham border in Nimroz Province, and 159 families used the Islam Qala crossing with Iran.
This marks a continued trend of large-scale expulsions. The previous week, 559 Afghan families were reportedly deported, with 434 sent back from Iran and 125 from Pakistan. Those figures covered six days, as statistics for the prior Sunday were also missing.
Both Iran and Pakistan have recently intensified their detention and deportation of Afghan refugees, often citing security concerns or expired residency permits. In the last two weeks, Pakistani police have detained hundreds of Afghan refugees, including women and children, and forcibly deported them through border crossings.
Some of those expelled reportedly held valid residency documents, raising questions about the enforcement measures. Rights groups have criticized the crackdowns as targeting vulnerable populations already displaced by economic hardship and political instability in Afghanistan.
