Pakistan deports more than 530 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan

Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation on Tuesday said that Pakistan has deported some 531 Afghan refugees, including women and children, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.

In a tweet, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that Afghan refugees entered Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak crossing point in Southern Kandahar province on Sunday and Monday respectively, Khaama Press reported. It further said that the refugees were introduced to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive necessary aid.

After the Taliban assumed power in August 2021, thousands of Afghans fearing persecution and death threats fled Afghanistan and entered neighbouring nations like Pakistan and Iran in search of security and job opportunities, the report said. In the past months, Taliban officials have reported about thousands of Afghan refugees returning to the country either forcefully or willingly from Iran and Turkey.

Meanwhile, Pakistani police have arrested hundreds of Afghan nationals as they were not able to give legal stay permits (Visas) from Islamabad, Rawalpindi and other major cities during the last week, Khaama Press reported. Pakistan and Iran have continuously incarcerated and deported Afghan migrants to Afghanistan on a daily basis.

For years, Afghans have been forced to migrate to neighbouring nations due to the humanitarian crisis and economic challenges. Afghan refugees in the host countries face various challenges including legal status issues, unemployment, uncertainty and harassment from the police.

More than 2,000 Afghan refugees returned to the country from Iran, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported citing the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR). At least 534 Afghan refugees visited Afghanistan through Islam Qala in Western Herat province, according to the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR).

It further said that at least 288 of the 2000 returnees were introduced to the International Office for Migration (IOM) to receive basic necessary aid. The number of Afghan refugees returning to Afghanistan from Iran has increased in recent months at a never-before-seen rate due to multiple reasons, the report said.

Earlier, Taliban's head of the refugee department of Nimruz Mawlavi Abdullah Reyaz said that over 65,000 migrants have travelled back to Afghanistan through the Pul-e-Abresham crossing point over the past month, Khaama Press reported. The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that more than 527,000 Afghan refugees had returned to Afghanistan in 2022.