KABUL, Afghanistan — At least 27,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan over the past week, according to data compiled by Amu TV from Taliban’s Commission for Refugee Affairs.
The figures show that between 3,000 to 5,000 people crossed daily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border points into Afghanistan.
On Saturday, April 19, Taliban authorities officially registered the return of at least 2,000 migrants through Torkham and 980 through Spin Boldak.
Data for the previous days showed similarly high numbers:
On Sunday, April 13, 2,500 migrants crossed at Torkham and 2,067 at Spin Boldak.
On Monday, April 14, 1,500 entered via Torkham and 1,132 through Spin Boldak.
On Tuesday, April 15, 2,235 at Torkham and 1,104 at Spin Boldak.
On Wednesday, April 16, 3,500 crossed through Torkham and 1,632 through Spin Boldak.
On Thursday, April 17, 2,100 migrants were recorded at Torkham and 832 at Spin Boldak.
On Friday, April 18, 3,100 crossed at Torkham and 1,220 at Spin Boldak.
On Saturday, April 19, 2,000 migrants were registered at Torkham and 980 at Spin Boldak.
Reuters, citing a Pakistani official, reported that more than 80,000 Afghans—both voluntary returnees and those forcibly deported—have entered Afghanistan from Pakistan over the past three weeks.
After registering the returnees, the Taliban authorities have temporarily placed some in camps before relocating them either to more permanent settlements or refugee camps within the country.
For many returning families, immediate concerns include shelter, food, and employment. For those who have spent decades outside Afghanistan, the uncertainty about their future is even more daunting.
Inside Pakistan, particularly in cities like Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and Karachi, Afghan migrants have reported increased house raids and arrests by Pakistani police, even targeting those holding Afghan Citizen Cards.
“Many of these migrants have lived in Pakistan for more than two decades, but now they are being sent back in humiliating and alarming conditions, without any support,” said Ezzatullah Bakhshi, a human rights activist.
The fate of Afghan migrants was reportedly discussed during the recent visit to Kabul by Pakistan’s Foreign Minister, Ishaq Dar. However, Islamabad has made no indication of halting or adjusting its deportation policy.
