KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Taliban’s “Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Problems” says that yesterday (Saturday, May 2), 4,309 migrants were deported from Pakistan and entered Afghanistan.
The commission added that these migrants returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Bahramcha border crossings.
The Taliban’s “Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Problems” also stated that on the same day, another 308 people were deported from Iran and entered Afghanistan.
According to the commission, these individuals entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat and the Pul-e-Abrisham crossing in Nimroz.
The commission said that after entering the country and registering, these migrants received assistance, and some of them were transferred to their original areas of residence.
Afghanistan has experienced a sharp increase in returns since late 2023 as Pakistan and Iran have intensified enforcement against undocumented Afghan migrants. UN figures indicate that more than 5.4 million Afghans have returned or been deported from the two countries combined since October 2023, with around 2.9 million in 2025 alone.
Nearly 150,000 Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran so far in 2026, according to data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), adding pressure on already limited resources inside Afghanistan.
The deportations coincide with the ongoing conflict between the Taliban and Pakistan. Islamabad closed key border crossings in late February following the outbreak of the conflict, disrupting trade and travel, before reopening them in recent days primarily to facilitate deportations. Other forms of cross-border movement remain largely restricted.
The rise in returns comes as Afghanistan faces a worsening humanitarian situation. 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.
Many returnees are families who had been living in Pakistan and Iran for years or decades and now face difficulties reintegrating into communities with limited infrastructure and economic opportunities. Humanitarian organizations warn that without sustained support, returnees could face rising poverty and displacement inside Afghanistan.
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 organizations and international aid agencies have repeatedly called on Pakistan and Iran to halt forced returns. They warn that returnees, particularly women, journalists, activists, and former government officials, risk security threats and possible retaliation upon re-entering Afghanistan under Taliban rule.
