Ninety-three Afghan nationals have been released from detention in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan over the past two days, the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees said.
According to the ministry, the individuals were freed on June 23 and 24 after spending between one and seven days in various Pakistani jails. Despite possessing valid documentation, the Afghans were detained by Pakistani police in different regions of the country, the ministry said.
The released individuals entered Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak border crossing in southern Kandahar Province. The ministry did not provide a total count of Afghans released nationwide during this period.
The announcement comes amid a wider crackdown on undocumented Afghan migrants in Pakistan. Since Islamabad began mass deportations in September 2023, more than one million Afghans have returned to their home country, according to a recent report by the Norwegian Refugee Council.
The report also projected that an additional 600,000 Afghans could be expelled from Pakistan in 2025, a prospect that poses significant challenges for Afghanistan, which is grappling with economic collapse, widespread poverty, and growing security concerns.
