KABUL — At least 450 Afghan nationals were released from prisons in Pakistan over the past week and have returned to Afghanistan, according to data compiled by Amu from the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees statements.
The figures show that 487 Afghans were freed between May 24 and May 31, and repatriated via the Spin Boldak border crossing. While Taliban have not provided detailed reasons for their detentions, most Afghan nationals in Pakistan are typically arrested for lacking legal residency documents.
The newly released individuals had been detained in various parts of Pakistan. Among them, 34 were released and returned to Afghanistan on Saturday alone.
The ministry’s weekly reports focus on returnees arriving through a single border crossing and do not reflect the total number of Afghans released from Pakistani detention facilities nationwide.
Earlier this month, Amu reported that 1,284 Afghan nationals had been released over a 15-day period. Many had spent between a few days to more than ten days in Pakistani jails.
The Norwegian Refugee Council recently estimated that more than one million Afghans have returned to the country since Pakistan began its mass deportation campaign in September 2023. The group warns that returnees are arriving in a country already struggling with widespread poverty, an economic crisis and deteriorating humanitarian conditions.
The report also projects that an additional 600,000 Afghans may be expelled from Pakistan and return to Afghanistan in 2025.
