Pakistan Deports Over 2,800 Afghan Migrants in a Single Day
The Taliban-run Commission for Refugee Affairs has reported that Pakistan deported 2,821 Afghan migrants on Monday, December 14. According to the commission, most of these deportations were carried out forcibly.
At the same time, 184 more Afghan migrants were returned from Iran, with the majority of them also reportedly deported by force. The continued deportations have raised concerns over the humanitarian situation facing returning migrants.
The deportees entered Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings in the east and south, as well as Bahramcha, Islam Qala, and Pul-e-Abrisham in the west—areas where basic reception facilities and essential services are reportedly limited.
The Taliban’s refugee affairs commission added that Pakistan had also expelled 5,441 Afghan migrants the previous day, through both voluntary and forced returns. According to the commission, at least 6,000 migrants were returned from Pakistan over just two days last week, indicating an acceleration of the deportation process in recent weeks.
Meanwhile, international aid organizations have warned that the mass return of migrants is placing significant pressure on Afghanistan—a country already grappling with food insecurity, widespread unemployment, and a sharp decline in humanitarian assistance. Critics argue that the Taliban authorities have yet to present a clear and effective plan to manage these returns or to respond to the urgent needs of the returnees.
