Escalation of Afghan Migrant Deportations from Iran and Pakistan Amid Reports of Abuse at Borders

Kokcha News Agency – The Taliban’s Commission for Migrant Affairs has announced that on Wednesday, August 13, Iran deported 4,847 Afghan migrants through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat and the Silk Bridge in Nimroz.

According to the Taliban, Pakistan also forcibly or voluntarily returned 1,908 Afghan migrants on the same day through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings. Officials say that the pace of deportations has intensified in recent weeks.

Statistics provided by the commission show that in just one week, from August 1 to August 7, 55,038 Afghan migrants were deported from Iran. Authorities claim this is part of a broader wave of forced returns that has been ongoing since last year.

Officials from the Taliban’s Ministry of Migrants also stated during the ministry’s annual reporting meeting in Kabul that in the past three months (April, May, and June), 1.8 million Afghan migrants were deported from Iran. Observers believe this to be one of the largest waves of migrant deportations in recent years.

On the other hand, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan has reported that from September 15, 2023, to June 30 of this year, approximately 1.2 million Afghan migrants returned from Pakistan. Many of these individuals were forced to leave due to security pressures and severe restrictions.

However, Taliban officials say that Iran and Pakistan continue to deport Afghan migrants with increasing intensity. Some returnees have reported being subjected to beatings, confiscation of property, inhumane treatment, and even humiliation during their forced return, raising serious human rights concerns.