RASC News Agency: The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Returnees recently issued a statement concerning the compelled repatriation of Afghanistani immigrants from neighboring nations, specifically Pakistan and Iran. According to the Ministry’s announcement on the X social media platform on Wednesday, December 6th, a total of over 2,000 refugees were deported from Iran and Pakistan and repatriated to Afghanistan. On Tuesday, December 5th, about 572 Afghanistani immigrants residing in Pakistan were expelled and brought back to the country via the Torkham crossing. The Ministry, referencing the Torkham border command in Nangarhar province, indicated that this deportation involved 124 households, totaling 572 individuals.
In addition to the expulsions from Pakistan, the Taliban group’s Ministry also reported that approximately 1,834 Afghanistani refugees were deported from Iran. These refugees entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border. The Ministry quoted the Islam Qala border command in Herat province, asserting that the recently deported migrants comprised both households and individuals forcibly repatriated from Iran to Afghanistan. After registering with the immigration department of the Taliban group, the deportees were then directed to the offices of the United Nations Higher Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
Despite the continual rise in forced deportations of Afghanistani refugees from neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, thousands of refugees continue to be expelled daily and returned to Afghanistan. The Taliban group has opted for silence and has not yet implemented policies to address the urgent needs of the displaced migrants within the country, despite the dire circumstances they are confronting.
