More than 12,000 Afghan migrants were expelled from Pakistan on Saturday, Nov. 8, according to Taliban commission for refugees, as Islamabad continues its mass deportation campaign targeting undocumented immigrants.
In a statement, the commission said that 12,323 Afghan nationals were forcibly returned on November 8 via multiple border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Pul-e-Abrisham, and Islam Qala. An additional 132 Afghans were also repatriated from Iran, either voluntarily or by force, the statement said.
The latest expulsions are part of Pakistan’s controversial crackdown on undocumented migrants, which it says is aimed at national security but has drawn widespread criticism from international rights groups. The policy has led to tens of thousands of Afghans—many of whom fled the Taliban’s return to power in 2021—being forced back into a country grappling with poverty, conflict, and humanitarian crises.
Based on figures provide by the Taliban commission for refugees, more than 33,000 migrants have been deported via the Torkham border since its limited reopening last week, with thousands returning daily over the past week.
In parallel, over 35,000 migrants have crossed back into Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak border in southern Kandahar province, according to the data.
Despite the high volume of returns, many Afghan families remain stranded near the Torkham crossing, caught in bureaucratic limbo. As previously reported by Amu, some deportees have waited for days without food or shelter, unable to either stay in Pakistan or complete the return to their homeland.
Pakistan’s government insists the deportation policy is not targeted at Afghans specifically, but at all undocumented migrants. However, the overwhelming majority affected by the mass expulsions are Afghan nationals—many of whom had lived in Pakistan for decades.
The Taliban have called on Pakistan to halt the expulsions, but Islamabad has continued the removals, citing internal security threats and pressure on resources. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, have warned that the forced returns violate international norms and could endanger the lives of returnees.
