More than 6,000 Afghan migrants deported from Iran and Pakistan returned to the country on Sunday, Sept. 28, through various border crossings, according to the Taliban’s Commission for Refugees.
In its daily report, the commission said 6,348 people from 1,192 families were registered at border points in Herat, Nimroz, Kandahar, Nangarhar and Helmand provinces.
At Spin Boldak in Kandahar province, 2,279 people from 424 families were registered.
In Nangarhar province, 2,538 people from 488 families were processed at the Torkham crossing, with more than 2,500 transported further into Afghanistan. The commission reported that 543 families received financial assistance and more than 500 SIM cards were handed out.
At Islam Qala in Herat, 144 families — 761 people in total — were registered. In Nimroz province, 108 people from 25 families were processed at the Abrisham crossing, while 537 other deportees entered through the same route. In Helmand’s Bahramcha, 642 people from 111 families were registered.
In Kabul, Taliban said they arranged onward transportation for more than 1,700 returnees to other provinces.
The commission said returnees received services ranging from food and medical care to temporary shelter and communication assistance.
Large-scale deportations from Iran and Pakistan have surged in recent months, adding to pressure on Afghanistan as it grapples with deepening economic hardship, natural disasters and ongoing humanitarian needs.
Many migrants said they return to the country with lack of job opportunities as well as restrictions by the Taliban on women and girls’ education.