Over 2,000 Forced Returnee Migrants Registered in One Day in Afghanistan
The Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues has announced that in the past day, 394 families totaling 2,140 people who were forcibly returned through various routes have been registered and documented. According to the commission, 492 families comprising 2,767 individuals have been transferred to different provinces, and 63 families have received cash assistance. During the same period, 394 SIM cards were also distributed among the returnee migrants.
Hamdullah Fetrat, Deputy Spokesperson of the Taliban administration, stated that through the Torkham route in Nangarhar province, 305 families including 1,707 people entered the country. In addition to their registration, 336 other families with 1,876 people were transferred from this checkpoint to the provinces of Nangarhar, Kunar, Laghman, and Kabul, with transportation costs totaling 1,599,380 Afghanis. Health and communication services were provided at the Omari camp, where 367 SIM cards with active packages were distributed.
At the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province, 33 families comprising 199 people were registered. Additionally, 39 families received a total of 334,000 Afghanis in cash assistance, and 298 ready meals along with 26 SIM cards were distributed among them. Health and communication services were also provided to the returnees.
From the Silk Bridge checkpoint in Nimroz province, 33 families including 146 people were registered, and 867 other passengers entered the country. According to the provided information, one family received 6,000 Afghanis in cash assistance, and 503 people benefited from health services. Only one SIM card was distributed on this route.
In Islam Qala in Herat province, 23 families totaling 88 people were registered, and cash assistance totaling 166,000 Afghanis was distributed to the same number of families. Furthermore, 156 families including 891 individuals were transferred from the Kabul transit center to various provinces, with transportation costs amounting to 531,300 Afghanis.
These statistics are released amid a rise in the forced return of Afghan migrants from some neighboring countries in recent months, raising concerns about their housing, employment, and access to basic services within the country. Despite the commission’s announcement of continued service provision, many returnees face serious livelihood challenges, and it is expected that alongside registration and distribution of initial aid, the Taliban administration will implement sustainable programs for the reintegration of these families into society.
The Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues emphasized that the process of providing services and addressing the primary needs of returnee migrants at various country checkpoints continues steadily.
