Nearly 94,000 Families Voluntarily Return to Afghanistan from Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan in Three Months

TOLOnews confirmed, citing Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, that 94,000 families have voluntarily returned to Afghanistan from Iran, Turkey, and Pakistan over the last three months.

Officials stated that more than 88,000 of the returnees came from Pakistan alone, indicating increased pressure on cross-border repatriation volumes and reintegration systems in Afghanistan.

Meanwhile, the Ministry also outlined the assistance provided to the returnees. Abdul Muttalib Haqqani, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, stated, "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has provided food aid, healthcare, free SIM cards, and other support for returning migrants."

TOLOnews reported, citing the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), that nearly one million Afghan migrants returned from Pakistan last year, with an average of two thousand individuals entering Afghanistan every day as daily arrivals continue.

As the pace of returns accelerates, migrant rights activists have urged officials to prioritize long-term reintegration. Najar Nazari stated that the focus should not only be on migrants but that return should be an informed and sustainable option, where migrants have access to employment, income, and basic services such as housing, education, and healthcare.

Expressing concern, Ali Reza Karimi said that to prevent humanitarian crises, the expulsion of migrants from neighboring countries should be gradual and systematic, calling for a phased approach to repatriation.

Meanwhile, TOLOnews reported that many individuals returning from Pakistan have expressed concern over mistreatment, harassment, and continuous detention by Pakistani police, calling for immediate intervention from the officials of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

Previously, TOLOnews, citing a UNHCR representative, reported that more than 4.8 million Afghan migrants had returned home since December 1023.