KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iran and Pakistan repatriated nearly 1,000 Afghan families on Friday, as both countries intensified efforts to return refugees, the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency reported.
According to the report, of the total 963 families sent back, 822 returned from Pakistan via the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, while 141 families were repatriated from Iran through the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimruz and the Islam Qala crossing in Herat province.
The repatriated families received basic assistance upon arrival, the report said.
Millions of Afghans have lived in Pakistan and Iran for decades, fleeing war, poverty, and persecution. In recent months, both countries have stepped up deportations, forcing thousands of Afghans to return daily to a country facing a worsening humanitarian crisis under Taliban rule.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says more than four million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan over the past two years, describing it as one of the largest return movements in recent history. The agency warned that pressure on Afghanistan is likely to increase, particularly from Pakistan.
Afghanistan is grappling with one of the world’s most severe humanitarian crises. Over half of the population, around 23 million people, require assistance, while women and girls remain largely deprived of basic rights under the Taliban.
The United Nations has warned that without urgent international support and regional cooperation, the crisis could escalate further, with serious consequences for Afghanistan and the wider region.
