Afghanistan/Islamabad – According to IOM estimates, over the past two weeks nearly 60,000 Afghan nationals who resided illegally in Pakistan have returned home amid mounting pressure from Pakistani authorities to expel any undocumented foreigners from their territory.
Pakistan has recently intensified its crackdown on undocumented migrants, with Afghan nationals who have lived in Pakistan due to conflict or fleeing persecution in Afghanistan disproportionately affected. On Tuesday, IOM reported that from March 25 to April 8, approximately 59,980 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan.
“These returnees arrive in dire circumstances, often lacking basic resources or shelter,” reported an IOM spokesperson in Kabul. To provide immediate humanitarian aid at key border crossing points. IOM and its partners have coordinated on providing food, shelter and medical support at these key border crossing points.
Returnees from Pakistan have mostly entered Afghanistan through Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, which have become major gateways between these nations. Aid groups warn that Afghanistan, already facing humanitarian difficulties under Taliban rule, cannot absorb such an unprecedented influx of people quickly enough.
Reports from the border indicate that families are arriving with whatever belongings they could carry, with many detained prior to deportation. Women, children and elderly returnees comprise an overwhelming portion of returnees, adding further strain on Afghanistan’s fragile social services infrastructure.
Pakistan’s government has justified its move, citing national security concerns and insisting its crackdown targets undocumented immigrants rather than registered refugees. Rights groups, however, have called for a more humane approach and emphasize upholding international refugee protections.
The IOM, UNHCR and other aid agencies are calling on international support to assist Afghanistan manage the ever-increasing numbers of returnees without creating further humanitarian crisis.
As border pressures intensify, thousands of Afghan families remain uncertain of their fate — caught between tightening migration policies in Pakistan and ongoing instability in their home nation.
Afghanistan/Islamabad – According to IOM estimates, over the past two weeks nearly 60,000 Afghan nationals who resided illegally in Pakistan have returned home amid mounting pressure from Pakistani authorities to expel any undocumented foreigners from their territory.
Pakistan has recently intensified its crackdown on undocumented migrants, with Afghan nationals who have lived in Pakistan due to conflict or fleeing persecution in Afghanistan disproportionately affected. On Tuesday, IOM reported that from March 25 to April 8, approximately 59,980 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan.
“These returnees arrive in dire circumstances, often lacking basic resources or shelter,” reported an IOM spokesperson in Kabul. To provide immediate humanitarian aid at key border crossing points. IOM and its partners have coordinated on providing food, shelter and medical support at these key border crossing points.
Returnees from Pakistan have mostly entered Afghanistan through Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, which have become major gateways between these nations. Aid groups warn that Afghanistan, already facing humanitarian difficulties under Taliban rule, cannot absorb such an unprecedented influx of people quickly enough.
Reports from the border indicate that families are arriving with whatever belongings they could carry, with many detained prior to deportation. Women, children and elderly returnees comprise an overwhelming portion of returnees, adding further strain on Afghanistan’s fragile social services infrastructure.
Pakistan’s government has justified its move, citing national security concerns and insisting its crackdown targets undocumented immigrants rather than registered refugees. Rights groups, however, have called for a more humane approach and emphasize upholding international refugee protections.
The IOM, UNHCR and other aid agencies are calling on international support to assist Afghanistan manage the ever-increasing numbers of returnees without creating further humanitarian crisis.
As border pressures intensify, thousands of Afghan families remain uncertain of their fate — caught between tightening migration policies in Pakistan and ongoing instability in their home nation.