The Taliban’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues has reported that a total of 5,136 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan on Wednesday, marking one of the largest single-day returns in recent months.
According to the commission, 3,500 individuals crossed back into Afghanistan via the Torkham border in Nangarhar province, while another 1,636 were deported through the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province.
In its statement, the commission detailed that 625 Afghan families were registered upon arrival at Torkham and 303 families at Spin Boldak. Simultaneously, 535 Afghan migrants—comprising 144 families—were deported from Iran and returned to Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing.
To support the returnees, the Taliban-led commission stated it had distributed a total of 6,481,000 Afghanis (AFN) in aid among the returning families.
This follows an earlier announcement by the commission on Tuesday, 15 April, confirming the deportation of 4,339 Afghan nationals from Pakistan—3,235 via Torkham and 1,104 via Spin Boldak.
Meanwhile, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) raised alarms on Wednesday over the rapidly increasing deportations. The organisation stated that over 60,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Pakistan in the past two weeks alone.
Mutya Izora Maskun, IOM’s Deputy Chief of Mission for Operations, stressed the critical need for immediate humanitarian assistance, noting that many returnees arrive in Afghanistan with almost no belongings and face uncertain futures. “They are tired, scared and extremely vulnerable,” Maskun said.
The IOM has urged the international community to step up support and not remain indifferent to the growing humanitarian crisis facing deported Afghan migrants.
