KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – More than 200 Afghan nationals have been released from prisons in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan, according to the Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the ministry stated that 223 individuals crossed back into Afghanistan via the Torkham and Spin Boldak border points on Thursday and Friday.
The ministry said the group had been detained in the Pakistani provinces of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite holding valid residency documents. Many had spent between 10 days and one month in detention.
Upon their return, they were provided with basic assistance before being transported to their home provinces, the ministry added.
The Taliban authorities have reported several similar releases in recent months amid growing pressure on Afghan refugees in Pakistan.
The United Nations estimates that Pakistan hosts around 3.2 million Afghans, including 1.3 million registered refugees and hundreds of thousands with various forms of legal status.
In October 2023, Pakistani authorities began a nationwide crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals, citing national security concerns. The campaign has disproportionately affected Afghan migrants, particularly women and children, and has led to mass arrest and deportations.
Islamabad has now set a deadline of March 31 for more than a million undocumented Afghan refugees to leave the country voluntarily or face deportation.
