KABUL – Over the past 15 days, 1,284 Afghan nationals have been released from various prisons across Pakistan and have returned to Afghanistan, according to figures collected by Amu from Taliban statements.
The releases occurred between May 8 and May 24.
While Taliban have not specified the reasons for the detentions, previous reports in Pakistani media indicate that most arrests were due to a lack of legal residency documents.
These findings suggest that the individuals spent anywhere from one day to more than ten days in Pakistani detention facilities. In the most recent instance, 230 Afghan citizens were released from Pakistani prisons on Saturday, May 24, and have since returned to Afghanistan.
This ongoing repatriation effort takes place as the Norwegian Refugee Council recently reported that more than one million migrants have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan since the forced expulsion campaign began in September 2023. These returnees are arriving in a country currently facing severe economic collapse, widespread poverty, and significant protection challenges.
Furthermore, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s report projects that approximately 600,000 additional migrants are expected to be expelled from Pakistan and return to Afghanistan in 2025, a development that is likely to intensify the existing humanitarian crisis.
