Over 700 Afghan refugees returned to Afghanistan from Iran
Aug 28, 2023
Kabul [Afghanistan], August 28 : The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations of Afghanistan has said that more than 700 Afghan refugees have returned from Iran, Afghanistan-based Khaama Press reported.
The Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations on Monday in a post shared on X, formerly known as Twitter, said that around 774 Afghan refugees arrived in Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province.
Out of the 774 returnees, around 622 people have been referred to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) office for assistance, according to the Taliban-appointed Islam Qala border post’s officer, Khaama Press reported.
Previously, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations had said that approximately 2,589 Afghan refugees had returned from Iran to Afghanistan.
The development comes amidst reports that Afghan migrants in Pakistan and Iran have been detained, deported and mistreated due to a lack of legal residency documents. In many cases, these actions were taken by the authorities of these countries, according to Khaama Press report.
The severe humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and the escalating poverty levels have resulted in increased migration and challenges with regards to unemployment and residency issues in neighbouring nations. This has resulted in some migrants returning to Afghanistan voluntarily.
Since the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan, the majority of Afghans have sought migration due to security reasons, prosecution, lack of job opportunities and the economic situation amid a severe humanitarian crisis in the country.
Earlier this month, Afghan refugees in Pakistan expressed concern over continued detentions by the country’s police, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.
They said the Pakistani police asked them for bribes after arresting them. An Afghan refugee in Pakistan said, “The refugees who lack visas in Pakistan are being detained by the police. Some of these refugees have been returned to Afghanistan and some are being released based on money," TOLO News reported.
The Afghan refugee said, “In recent times, the Pakistan police have been treating the Afghan refugees with improper conduct and they even search the houses of the people.”Taliban’s consul in Karachi, Abdul Jabar Takhari, said that more than 40 Afghan refugees have been released from prisons in the Sindh province of Pakistan.
Takhari said that the refugees had been arrested due to the lack of legal documents. He said, "Around 44 Afghans were released from various prisons in Sindh province of Pakistan and they have been taken to the country via Chaman," according to TOLO News report.
