Nearly 1,000 Afghan Refugee Families Return From Iran & Pakistan, Says Taliban

The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported on Monday that 977 Afghan refugee families have returned from Iran and Pakistan within the past 24 hours.

According to the report, the returning families entered Afghanistan through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, Pul-e-Abrisham, and Islam Qala border crossings.

A total of 450 families crossed from Pakistan via the Spin Boldak border in Kandahar province, while another 402 families entered through the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar. From Iran, 76 families returned through the Pul-e-Abrisham crossing in Nimruz province, and 49 families entered via Islam Qala in Herat.

The returns come amid Pakistan’s ongoing crackdown on undocumented Afghan nationals and those holding the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC). Authorities in Pakistan have recently accelerated deportation measures, leading to a sharp increase in cross-border movements.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on Saturday that at least 44,900 Afghan refugees had returned from Pakistan between 1 and 11 April.

While Pakistani officials have reaffirmed that the deportation campaign will continue, the Taliban administration has criticised the move, describing it as a violation of fundamental humanitarian principles.