KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan deported more than 5,000 Afghan refugees on Sunday, the largest single-day figure in recent months, as Islamabad intensified its campaign against undocumented Afghans amid ongoing border tensions with the Taliban.
The Taliban-run commission for refugee affairs said 4,796 Afghans entered Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing in eastern Nangarhar province, while 369 others returned via the Spin Boldak crossing in southern Kandahar.
The commission also reported that 237 Afghans were returned from Iran on the same day, entering through the Islam Qala and Silk Road border crossings in western Afghanistan.
Pakistani authorities have intensified raids on homes, detentions, and daily deportations in recent weeks. The previous day, the Taliban commission reported 3,859 Afghans deported from Pakistan.
The surge in returns comes as Pakistan and the Taliban continue border clashes that erupted in late February. Multiple rounds of talks, including a recent one mediated by China in Urumqi, have so far failed to produce a lasting ceasefire or fully resolve hostilities between the former allies.
A parallel deportation campaign continues in Iran, though it has slowed somewhat due to Tehran’s conflicts with the United States and Israel. Overall, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been pushed back by both neighbors in recent months.
The rise in returns comes as Afghanistan is grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis. UN estimates nearly 22 million people, close to half the population, require humanitarian assistance this year, while around 4 million children are suffering from acute malnutrition.
Women and girls remain subject to strict restrictions on education, employment, and other basic rights, limiting household income and access to basic services for many families.
Human rights groups and international aid agencies have repeatedly called on Pakistan and Iran to halt forced returns. They highlight the dangers facing returnees — particularly women, journalists, activists, and former government officials — including potential security threats and retaliation under Taliban rule.
