KABUL, Afghanistan — Nearly 60,000 Afghans have been forcibly deported from Pakistan in just two weeks, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Wednesday, warning of a worsening humanitarian crisis at the Torkham border crossing.
“We ask the international community not to look away. These families cannot wait,” IOM wrote on X, alongside a video showing the conditions facing returnees at the border.
The organization said urgent resources are needed to assist thousands of Afghans arriving with little more than what they can carry.
In a video message, Mutya Izora Maskun, IOM’s deputy chief of mission for operations in Afghanistan, said most of those returning are women and children.
“They are tired, scared, and extremely vulnerable,” she said, calling for immediate humanitarian assistance to support the growing number of returnees.
The wave of forced returns comes amid a renewed crackdown by Pakistani authorities, who have intensified efforts to arrest and deport undocumented Afghan migrants.
Sources told Amu TV that Pakistani police have raided homes in migrant communities, breaking down doors in some cases to detain residents for deportation.
Human rights organizations have voiced alarm over the treatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, warning that the mass expulsions may violate international protections for displaced people. The United Nations and aid groups have called for Pakistan to suspend deportations and ensure safe and dignified treatment for refugees.
The Pakistani government has defended the deportation campaign, saying it is aimed at undocumented individuals and necessary for national security. However, observers warn that the sudden influx of tens of thousands of returnees is straining already limited resources in Afghanistan, which is grappling with widespread poverty and a collapsing economy.
