More than 3,000 Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in the past two days, according to the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation. The returns were either voluntary or the result of deportations.
The ministry stated that 778 Afghan refugees entered the country through the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings. Among those returning were 70 families, totaling 390 individuals, which included 18 people recently released from Pakistani prisons.
Additionally, the ministry reported that at least 69 families, comprising 370 individuals, were forcibly deported through Torkham.
In a separate statement, the ministry noted that more than 2,651 Afghan migrants in Iran were either deported or returned voluntarily through the Islam Qala crossing.
This wave of returns coincides with Pakistan’s recent initiation of a second round of forced deportations, mandating that hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees leave its territory.
