Pakistan deported 5,886 Afghan migrants on Saturday, according to the Taliban’s commission for refugees, as part of an ongoing campaign to expel undocumented foreigners from the country. An additional 100 Afghans were also returned from Iran the same day, the commission said, some involuntarily and others who left voluntarily.
The deportees were returned through four major border crossings, including Torkham and Spin Boldak from Pakistan, and Islam Qala and Pul-e-Abrisham from Iran.
The latest figures come just one day after Pakistan expelled another 8,642 Afghans, most of whom were forcibly removed, according to the commission.
Pakistan launched its mass deportation campaign earlier this month, setting a deadline for all undocumented migrants—particularly targeting Afghans—to leave the country or face arrest and forced removal. The move has drawn criticism from international human rights groups and the United Nations, who have warned of humanitarian risks, especially for those facing persecution under Taliban rule.
In Rawalpindi, local Pakistani media reported that the city’s police force has established a specialized task force to detain and process Afghan migrants for deportation. The unit reportedly consists of 13 teams, each including police officers, a plainclothes detective, and personnel from the counterterrorism and intelligence departments.
A senior Rawalpindi police official told local media that the task force has been instructed to focus solely on arresting undocumented Afghan nationals and transferring them to temporary detention centers for deportation.
Tensions between Pakistan and the Taliban have escalated in recent months over cross-border militancy and the presence of Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) fighters allegedly operating from Afghanistan.
