KABUL — Iran and Pakistan deported more than 800 refugee families on Monday, May 19, according to figures by the Taliban-run refugees ministry.
The figures reported by Taliban-run news agency, BNA, show that at least 808 families were returned to Afghanistan — 628 from Iran and 171 from Pakistan — through multiple border crossings, both forcibly and voluntarily.
The deportees entered the country through border points in Nangarhar, Kandahar, Paktika, Nimroz, Helmand, and Herat provinces.
Specific figures include 70 families via Torkham crossing, 100 families through Spin Boldak, 1 family through Angur Adda in Paktika, 172 families through Pul-e-Abrisham, 9 families from Bahramcha and 447 families through Islam Qala.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has previously raised concerns about the scale and pace of deportations. Since the beginning of 2023, approximately 3.4 million Afghans have been expelled from Iran and Pakistan, according to UNHCR. More than 250,000 were deported in the past month alone, many through forced removals, the agency noted.
The United Nations has called the conditions facing returnees in Afghanistan deeply concerning and reiterated that returns must be voluntary and carried out with respect for international humanitarian standards.
Life for Afghan refugees in both countries has become increasingly precarious. Afghan families report a growing pattern of harassment, job loss, denial of visa renewals, home raids, and arbitrary arrests. Others speak of extortion and intimidation, particularly in areas with large refugee populations.
Pakistan began a second phase of forced deportations earlier this year, intensifying its crackdown on undocumented Afghans. According to estimates, between 2,000 to 3,000 Afghans are deported from Pakistan daily, through a mix of forced and voluntary returns.
