Afghan Migrant Deportations Resume as Torkham Crossing Remains Closed
Pakistani media have reported that the deportation of Afghan migrants from the Khyber region has resumed following the Eid holidays. Meanwhile, the continued closure of the Torkham border crossing has created widespread problems for residents on both sides of the Durand Line, as well as for traders and drivers. This situation has severely disrupted commercial traffic and cross-border travel.
According to reports, since September 17, 2023, more than 1,177,000 Afghan migrants have been returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan. In the latest phase of this process, which began on February 28, over 82,500 additional people have been deported.
Pakistani officials have stated that in Khyber district alone, 1,208 Afghan migrants have been returned to Afghanistan under this program. Additionally, 42 cases related to the illegal residence of Afghan citizens have been registered, and those detained were deported through the Torkham crossing after completing legal procedures.
In the Bara, Jamrud, and Landikotal areas, 44 shops owned by Afghan citizens were also shut down on charges of illegal commercial activities, an action that has had a direct impact on the economic situation of migrant families.
Alongside these developments, the ongoing closure of the Torkham crossing has cast a shadow over trade and transit between the two countries. Officials from the Pakistan Transport Union report that the fate of hundreds of Pakistani drivers, assistant drivers, and cargo trucks stranded in Afghanistan remains uncertain.
According to the union, a list of 560 drivers and assistant drivers and 900 cargo trucks carrying commercial goods was submitted to authorities a month ago, but so far, no action has been taken to resolve this issue.
At the same time, a large jirga was held in Landikotal with the participation of political party representatives, traders, transport unions, and tribal elders. Participants warned that if citizens, students, and vehicles stranded in Afghanistan are not returned after Eid, they will launch street protests.
They emphasized that if the current situation continues, there is a possibility of blocking the Pakistan-Afghanistan highway and even halting the deportation process of Afghan migrants.
