More than 560 Afghan nationals were released this week from prisons in Iraq and Pakistan and repatriated to Afghanistan, according to the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.
In a statement on Thursday, the ministry said that 565 Afghan citizens had been freed, including 517 from various detention centers across Pakistan and 48 from prisons in Iraq. The statement did not specify the reasons for their detention, referring to them only as “migrants.” However, in previous cases, Pakistani authorities have cited lack of legal residency documents as the primary reason for arresting Afghan nationals.
Taliban said the detainees had spent between two and nine months in custody before being released and returned to Afghanistan.
The announcement comes amid an intensified crackdown on undocumented migrants in Pakistan, where authorities have launched large-scale operations to detain and deport thousands of migrants. Afghan nationals make up a significant portion of the estimated four million undocumented foreigners living in Pakistan, many of whom fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021.
Earlier, Pakistani media reported that police in Rawalpindi had formed a special task force to carry out daily arrests of Afghan migrants. The 13-unit force reportedly includes personnel from anti-terrorism squads, intelligence services and local police branches.
“The crackdown on undocumented Afghan nationals will continue as per government directives,” a senior Rawalpindi police official was quoted as saying. “A special unit has been formed to arrest and transfer undocumented Afghans to detention camps for deportation.”
Meanwhile, Uzma Bukhari, the Information Minister of Punjab province, announced that the government would offer cash rewards to citizens who report undocumented Afghan migrants. She said over 6,200 Afghans had been deported from Punjab alone in the past three weeks.
The mass deportations have drawn criticism from human rights groups and international organizations, including the United Nations, which has urged Islamabad to halt forced returns and ensure protection for vulnerable populations, including women and children.
