Taliban Reports Return of 544 Afghan Migrant Families from Neighboring Countries
The Taliban administration has announced that 544 Afghan migrant families, totaling 2,860 individuals, have entered Afghanistan from neighboring countries. According to the administration, the majority of these returnees crossed through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings.
Hamdullah Fetrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban administration, stated in a press release on Saturday, 20th Saratan, that just from the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar province, 470 families comprising 2,478 individuals returned to the country. Torkham is one of the most important transit points between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The same press release indicated that 49 other families, totaling 250 people, entered Afghanistan via the Spin Boldak crossing in Kandahar province. Spin Boldak is also considered a key border crossing in southern Afghanistan.
The return of these families comes amid serious challenges faced by many expelled migrants inside the country. The main issues include a lack of job opportunities, housing shortages, limited access to healthcare services, and insufficient educational infrastructure for children.
At the same time, the Taliban administration’s widespread restrictions on women and girls, particularly in education and employment, have heightened concerns about the situation of returning families. Despite releasing statistics on migrant returns, there has been no clear information yet regarding a practical and sustainable plan to accommodate and effectively support these families.
