62 Afghan Migrant Families Return via Three Border Crossings Amid Ongoing Challenges
Media controlled by the Taliban administration reported that on Saturday, March 13, 62 migrant families returned to Afghanistan through various border crossings. Bakhtar News Agency stated that these families entered the country via the Silk Bridge in Nimroz, Islam Qala in Herat, and Spin Boldak in Kandahar.
According to the report, seven families returned through the Silk Bridge in Nimroz, 32 families via the Islam Qala crossing in Herat, and 23 families through the Spin Boldak route in Kandahar. These crossings are among the main points of movement for Afghan migrants between Afghanistan, Iran, and Pakistan.
Meanwhile, the United Nations has stated that only 11 percent of returnees have employment, a fact that raises concerns about the livelihoods of returning families. Migration experts have repeatedly warned that the lack of job opportunities and basic services in various areas makes the reintegration process for returnees particularly challenging.
Two days earlier, more than 70 families had also returned to the country. Additionally, the UN reported that in 2025, 2.8 million Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan.
Erafat Jamal, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) representative in Afghanistan, said in a press conference in January that since October 2023, 5.4 million people have returned to Afghanistan, most of them from Iran and Pakistan. However, it remains unclear what consistent and long-term plans the Taliban administration has to address the essential needs of these families in employment, shelter, and social services.
