Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs, said on Saturday that between 30000 and 35000 Afghan migrants are being forcibly deported from Iran each day through the Islam Qala border crossing.
Hanafi made the statement during a meeting in Kabul with Filippo Grandi, the United Nations high commissioner for refugees. He said the large-scale deportations have created serious challenges and called for support from the UN refugee agency and other humanitarian organisations to assist with the permanent resettlement and reintegration of returnees.
According to Taliban officials, Grandi acknowledged the volume of deportations and said the Taliban had managed the situation effectively. His visit to Kabul comes amid a sharp rise in deportations from both Iran and Pakistan.
During the meeting, Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said that Afghan citizens face mounting hardships and require assistance from international agencies. He also urged that Afghan migrants be given time to settle financial obligations before being returned.
In recent months, hundreds of Afghan families have been deported from Iran without receiving unpaid wages or recovering rental deposits. Many were not permitted to take their belongings with them.
In a separate meeting with Taliban refugee minister Abdul Kabir, Grandi announced plans to hold a trilateral meeting with Iran and Pakistan to address the situation. He also confirmed plans to visit Iran to further assess the impact of the deportations.
