At least 16,000 Afghan migrants were expelled from Pakistan on Monday, Nov. 3, according to Taliban’s commission for refugees, marking one of the highest daily returns amid Islamabad’s intensifying crackdown on undocumented immigrants.
In a statement released Tuesday, the commission said 15,826 Afghan nationals had been deported from Pakistan on November 3. The majority—8,925 people—crossed through the Torkham border in Nangarhar Province, while 5,912 entered via the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar. An additional 989 people returned through the Bahramcha border point in Helmand Province.
Simultaneously, Iran deported 417 Afghans—both voluntarily and forcibly—through border crossings in Herat and Nimroz provinces, the statement added.
The surge in deportations follows Pakistan’s controversial nationwide directive requiring all undocumented migrants—an overwhelming number of whom are Afghan—to leave the country. The deadline, which expired in early November, has triggered a mass exodus and raised alarm among humanitarian groups.
A day earlier, on November 2, the commission said 15,234 people had returned from Pakistan, primarily through the same Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings. Of those, more than 1,200 families—representing over 6,800 individuals—arrived in Spin Boldak, and another 1,200 families (around 6,500 people) crossed into Torkham.
The Taliban commission said biometric registration of returnees is underway, and limited support—including 1.55 million Afghanis (about $21,000) in transportation and cash assistance—has been provided. Health services are also reportedly being offered, though aid agencies have warned of severe gaps in relief.
Returnees face dire conditions. A recent report by Amu TV documented scores of families in Kandahar living in tents without adequate shelter, electricity, or access to clean water and health care.
Pakistan also expelled 7,913 Afghans on Saturday, November 1, again with most entering through Spin Boldak.
As winter approaches and deportations accelerate, concerns are mounting about the capacity of Afghan authorities and international agencies to absorb and support hundreds of thousands of returnees. Human rights organizations have criticized Pakistan’s mass deportations, warning of humanitarian consequences, particularly for women, children, and individuals at risk under Taliban rule.
Afghanistan is already grappling with economic collapse, drought, and widespread poverty—factors that have made reintegration and basic survival a challenge for returning families.
