RASC News Agency: A report from Bakhtar News Agency, operating under Taliban administration, reveals that Iran and Pakistan collectively expelled 1,403 Afghanistani refugee families in the past week October 27 to November 2, through both forced deportations and voluntary returns.
The report states that most deportations were carried out forcibly, although some families chose to return independently. In this period, Iran expelled 1,099 Afghanistani families, while Pakistan deported an additional 304 families. During the week, 163 families re-entered Afghanistan via the Torkham crossing, with 141 families returning through the Spin Boldak crossing.
Moreover, 419 families re-entered through the Pul-e Abrisham border in Nimruz, while 680 families arrived via the Islam Qala border. Notably, Iran has accelerated its forced expulsions of Afghanistani refugees, and Pakistan continues similar deportation efforts. In the midst of these developments, Afghanistani refugees in both Iran and Pakistan have reported treatment by local police that they claim violates human rights and basic refugee protections.
Since the Taliban assumed control of Afghanistan, significant numbers of Afghanistani citizens have sought refuge in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, citing poverty, unemployment, and a desire to escape Taliban oppression. Human rights organizations have voiced grave concerns about the implications of these deportations, warning that a considerable number of deportees are former members of the previous government’s security forces, who may face persecution or severe harassment at the hands of the Taliban upon their return.
