Pakistan expelled 3,001 Afghan nationals on Wednesday, Dec. 10, the Taliban’s commission for refugees said, as deportations continued through multiple border crossings.
Another 382 Afghans were returned from Iran, both forcibly and voluntarily, the commission said. Returnees entered Afghanistan through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Islam Qala and Pul-e Abrisham crossings.
Pakistan expelled 2,951 migrants a day earlier, most of them under coercion, according to the commission.
Deportations have intensified following eight days of border clashes this month between Pakistani forces and the Taliban. Pakistan also shut several border points to regular traffic, keeping them open only for the removal of Afghan migrants.
Hundreds of thousands of Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran in recent months have faced limited access to shelter, jobs and basic services, aid agencies say. Many return to provinces already struggling with drought, unemployment, rising food insecurity and reduced humanitarian assistance, following steep cuts in international funding.
Humanitarian groups say most families arrive with few belongings and require immediate support, including food, temporary shelter, warm clothing and medical care. Winter conditions have added to the strain, particularly in border provinces where reception facilities are overstretched.
The Taliban authorities have urged returnees to relocate to their home districts, but aid workers say many lack housing or livelihoods there and often move to urban areas already under pressure. Afghanistan’s economy remains dependent on humanitarian aid, which has declined sharply, and job opportunities for both men and women are scarce.
UN agencies have warned that without sustained support, the influx of deported Afghans risks worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation, with millions of people facing high levels of poverty and food insecurity.
