KABUL — The Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees said on Saturday that 263 Afghan nationals held in Pakistani prisons were released over the past two days and have since returned to Afghanistan.
In a statement, the ministry noted that the individuals had been detained for periods ranging from one to five days before being released and repatriated.
According to data shared by the ministry and reviewed by Amu, a total of 596 Afghan citizens have been freed from various prisons in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan over the past five days.
The releases come amid Pakistan’s ongoing second phase of forced deportations targeting Afghan migrants. Authorities in Pakistan have intensified arrests and detentions of Afghan nationals in recent days, particularly in border provinces and urban centers.
Last week, Pakistan’s Express Tribune reported that 1,427 Afghan migrants were arrested across multiple cities in a single week and transferred to the Torkham crossing for deportation.
Human rights organizations have criticized the mass deportations, citing concerns over due process and the vulnerability of those being expelled.
