Hundreds of Afghan nationals detained in Pakistan for lacking legal residency documents have been released from Pakistani prisons and returned to Afghanistan, Taliban authorities said, as concerns grow over the humanitarian impact of mass deportations.
The Taliban-run Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said 344 Afghan citizens returned to the country during the past week after being released from detention facilities in Pakistan. According to the ministry, 232 entered through the Torkham border crossing while 112 others crossed through Spin Boldak.
The ministry said those returned included both families and individual migrants who had been detained because they lacked valid residency documents.
The latest returns come only a week after officials reported that 485 Afghan migrants had been released from Pakistani prisons and sent back to Afghanistan.
Pakistan has intensified its crackdown on undocumented Afghan migrants since late 2023, launching a large-scale deportation campaign that has resulted in the return of more than two million Afghans. Pakistani authorities say the measures are aimed at enforcing immigration laws and addressing security concerns.
The growing influx of returnees has added pressure to Afghanistan’s already fragile humanitarian situation. International aid agencies warn that many deported families are returning to a country struggling with widespread poverty, unemployment and limited access to basic services.
Humanitarian organizations have repeatedly cautioned that large-scale forced returns risk worsening an already severe crisis. Millions of Afghans continue to depend on humanitarian assistance, while many returnees arrive with few resources and limited prospects for finding work or housing.
The United Nations and other aid groups have called for greater support for returning migrants, warning that Afghanistan’s capacity to absorb large numbers of deportees remains constrained by economic hardship, food insecurity and declining international aid funding.
Aid agencies say the combination of forced deportations, rising humanitarian needs and shrinking donor support is creating additional challenges for vulnerable families attempting to rebuild their lives after returning from neighboring countries.
