Deportations of Afghan migrants from Pakistan have surged in recent days, with nearly 3,500 people expelled daily over the past two days, according to figures from the Taliban-run refugees commission.
On Saturday, Aug. 23, at least 3,381 Afghans were deported through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings. A day earlier, 3,389 were deported or returned voluntarily, compared to about 2,000 on Aug. 21.
Meanwhile, deportations from Iran have remained steady at around 3,000 to 3,500 people per day. On Aug. 23, Iran deported 3,248 Afghans, a figure consistent with the past week.
Iran has deported at least 2 million Afghans so far this year, according to official figures. Pakistan has deported about 59,927 Afghan nationals as of Aug. 21, according to UNHCR and the International Organization for Migration. That accounts for 4.9% of the 1.2 million deportations to Afghanistan in 2025, the majority of them from Iran.
The deportations are sending Afghans back to a country struggling with unemployment, economic collapse, and severe restrictions on women and girls, including a ban on education beyond the sixth grade.
