Massive deportation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan continues; more than 4,000 people returned in one day

Taliban officials have announced that at least 4,413 Afghan refugees were deported from Pakistan and entered the country on Friday, May 18.

According to the High Commission for the Handling of Refugees, these people entered Afghanistan through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings. According to officials, the returning refugees have been provided with basic health services and some cash and transportation fares have also been made available to them.

This is while the border crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan have remained closed to normal trade and movement for about seven months, and only Afghan refugees are allowed to enter the country.

On the other hand, Pakistan has been forced to use air flights to transfer its citizens from Afghanistan. However, a number of Pakistanis stranded in Afghanistan have said they cannot afford air travel and are still waiting for land routes to reopen.

The process of deporting Afghan refugees from Pakistan began months ago, and during this time, Pakistani authorities have repeatedly accused Afghan refugees of “crime” and “terrorism,” accusations that have been met with widespread reactions.

According to UN statistics, more than two million Afghan refugees still live in Pakistan, and many of them face the risk of forced deportation.

Kabul Times News
Report; Shahbanu Noori