Nearly 2,000 migrants returned to the country from Iran through the Islam Qala border town on Wednesday, Nov. 22, as mass returns from the neighboring country continue.
Among the returnees, 341 vulnerable individuals have been identified and referred to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), according to a statement from the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees.
Iran has consistently repatriated undocumented Afghan migrants, and the recent influx of returnees from Iran adds to the challenges facing Afghanistan.
The United States Committee for Refugees and Immigrants categorizes the Afghan refugee situation as one of the most significant refugee crises globally.
Simultaneously, the process of expelling Afghan refugees from Pakistan continues.
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has expressed concerns about the mass expulsion, revealing that approximately 374,000 undocumented Afghan citizens returned to Afghanistan in the past month alone.
Expressing alarm, the UNHCR stated that the mass expulsion exacerbates the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, particularly with the onset of winter.
The organization has emphasized that the lack of shelter poses significant challenges, particularly for vulnerable groups such as women and children among the returnees.
