Over 2200 Afghans Return Home from Pakistan, Iran in Single Day

KABUL:
As many as 460 Afghan families, comprising 2,292 people, returned to the country from Iran and Pakistan in a single day, a top Taliban official said on Thursday. Sharing a daily operational report from the High Commission for Addressing Returnees’ Issues on social media platform X, Taliban Deputy Spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat detailed that 372 families, comprising 1,947 people, returned to Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing. As many as 17 families, comprising 85 individuals, returned to Afghanistan through the Spin Boldak crossing and a total of 66 families, comprising 239 individuals, returned to the country through the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimroz province.

According to the report, five families, comprising 21 individuals, returned to Afghanistan through the Islam Qala crossing.

The report said that 398 families, comprising 2,213 individuals, were relocated to various provinces of Afghanistan. In the report, Fitrat stated that 466 families were provided financial assistance while 395 sim cards were distributed to Afghan returnees.

On June 20, Amnesty International urged the international community to stop unlawful expulsion of Afghan refugees and called for protecting their needs as per international human rights law.

Afghan refugees face arbitrary arrests and family separations in host nations and face human rights violations when they return to Afghanistan, the rights group said.

“Millions of Afghan refugees are being expelled across the globe, and that number keeps climbing day by day. In host countries, they are facing arbitrary arrests and family separations; upon return, they are facing human rights violations amidst one of the most severe humanitarian crisis in the world,” Amnesty International said in a post on X.

“The unlawful expulsions of Afghan people must stop, and people with international protection needs must be safeguarded as per international human rights law,” it added.

The agency’s statement came as international agencies reported an increase in the deportation of Afghan refugees from neighbouring nations. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have repeatedly said that the return of Afghan refugees must be conducted in a safe and dignified manner and called for greater international support for returnees.