Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has announced that more than 3,000 Afghan migrants have returned “forcibly and voluntarily” from Iran and Pakistan.
On Thursday, May 9, the ministry issued a newsletter stating that these individuals had entered the country the previous day through the “Islam Qara”, “Torkham” and “Spin Bolduc” borders.
According to the ministry, 2,809 Afghan migrants have voluntarily returned from Iran and another 748 have been forcibly returned from Pakistan.
This comes as the process of deporting Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan has been ongoing in recent months.
Earlier, Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced that 1.3 million “illegal” immigrants had been deported in the past year.
Additionally, several groups supporting Afghanistan have repeatedly expressed concern about the forced return of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan and called for an end to this process.
The World Food Program has also warned that 1.24 million Afghan migrants could be deported from Iran and Pakistan in 2024. This comes amid Afghanistan’s dire humanitarian crisis, exacerbated by drought, conflict and widespread violations. A lack of employment and career opportunities further worsens the situation.
