Pakistan Expels 4,037 Afghan Migrants in One Day Amid Rising Tensions
The Taliban’s Supreme Commission for Migrant Affairs has announced that Pakistan expelled 4,037 Afghan citizens in a single day. According to the commission, this action took place two days after the deadline set by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry for illegal residents to leave the country expired.
Based on a prior announcement by Pakistan’s Interior Ministry, from Friday, July 10 (19 Saratan), all Afghan citizens without valid visas or legal residence permits will be detained and subsequently deported. This decision is part of a recent effort by Islamabad to intensify the repatriation of migrants.
The commission reported on Monday, July 12 (22 Saratan), that those deported were returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar province and the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province. Additionally, 63 people were also expelled from Iran.
Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban administration have been tense over the past year, coinciding with an increase in Afghan migrant expulsions. Taliban officials have repeatedly stated that Pakistan uses the migrant issue as a political pressure tool; however, critics argue that the Taliban have not provided a clear and effective plan to manage the large wave of returnees, which has exacerbated domestic problems.
The large-scale expulsions from neighboring countries continue while Afghanistan faces an economic crisis and a shortage of employment opportunities. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), in its report titled “Review of the Resilience of Afghan Returnees,” stated that approximately 6.04 million Afghan citizens have returned from Pakistan and Iran between mid-September 2023 and May 30, 2026. The organization warned that the speed and scale of this return wave have increased pressure on housing, public services, livelihoods, and social cohesion, posing serious challenges to host communities’ capacities.
According to United Nations refugee agency statistics, nearly three million Afghan migrants have been returned to the country since the beginning of 2025. Meanwhile, some Afghan refugees in Pakistan say that the intensifying expulsions have left their lives fraught with fear and uncertainty, and they are not assured of their safety if forcibly returned to Afghanistan.
