Forced Returns: Over 3,000 Afghans Returned Yesterday Amid Rising Regional Deportations

KABUL, Afghanistan  June 8– The Taliban announced that 616 families, totaling 3,270 individuals, returned to Afghanistan through various border crossings on Monday, marking another sharp increase in forced returns from neighboring countries.

According to a statement released by Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban, the returnees entered the country via four main entry points: the Torkham crossing (eastern border with Pakistan), the Spin Boldak crossing (southern border with Pakistan), as well as the Islam Qala and Nimroz border crossings (both on the Iranian frontier).

The majority of returnees crossed through Torkham, where 513 families comprising 2,778 people entered the country, the statement said. The remaining returns were distributed across other routes: 59 families arrived through Spin Boldak in Kandahar province, 23 families crossed via Islam Qala in Herat province, and 21 families entered through the Nimroz border.

The recent surge reflects a broader and accelerating trend of forced returns and deportations of Afghan migrants from Pakistan and Iran. Over the past several months, both countries have intensified crackdowns on undocumented Afghan refugees, citing security and economic pressures. This has resulted in a steady rise in the number of families returning to Afghanistan, often with little more than personal belongings and no guaranteed shelter or income upon arrival.

The World Food Programme (WFP) reported that nearly 2.8 million people returned from Pakistan and Iran to Afghanistan over the last year alone, and the organization warns that the flow shows no signs of slowing. Humanitarian agencies have expressed growing concern over the ability of Afghanistan’s already strained infrastructure and aid networks to absorb such large numbers of returnees, especially as winter approaches.

Many returnees face dire conditions, including lack of food, clean water, and housing. The Taliban has called on international organizations to step up assistance, but funding shortfalls continue to hamper relief efforts across the country.

Our Pashto-Dari Website

  Donate Here