Pakistan deported more than 5,300 Afghan migrants and Iran expelled about 1,700 others on Thursday, Dec. 11, the Taliban commission for refugees said, as neighbouring countries continue large-scale expulsions.
In its daily report, the commission said the majority of returnees crossed from Pakistan through the Spin Boldak, Torkham and Bahramcha border points, while those expelled from Iran entered through Islam Qala in Herat province and the Silk Road crossing in Nimroz.
From Pakistan, 643 families — about 3,400 people — crossed into Kandahar province via Spin Boldak, while 324 families, or nearly 1,700 people, returned through the Torkham crossing in eastern Nangarhar province. Another 36 families, or about 230 people, entered through Bahramcha in Helmand province, the commission said.
From Iran, 40 families crossed through Islam Qala, while 66 families and more than 1,300 individual travellers returned via the Silk Road crossing in Nimroz, according to the report.
Overall, the commission said it registered 1,109 families, or 5,764 people, and transported 485 families onward to provinces including Kabul, Herat, Ghazni and Khost, providing cash assistance to cover travel costs. Financial aid was extended to 643 families, and nearly 1,000 SIM cards were distributed.
Pakistan has intensified deportations in recent weeks, with the commission saying at least 6,000 migrants were expelled on Tuesday and Wednesday alone.
Aid agencies have warned that mass returns are increasing pressure on Afghanistan, where millions already face food insecurity, unemployment and sharply reduced international assistance.
