1.3m Afghan refugees return home in past 20 months

KABUL (Khaama Press): The acting Minister for Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR), Khalil-ur-Rahman Haqqani, said that as many as 1.3 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from various countries over the past 20 months.
These 1.3 million returnees came from various countries, including Pakistan, Iran, Europe and other countries. The return and reintegration of these returnees and their families have been made easier with the help of the Afghan government and international aid agencies.
Taliban officials link the rise in Afghan refugees coming home from neighbouring countries, including Iran and Pakistan, to the overall security improvement in the country.
However, the UNHCR stated that a strong correlation exists between the ongoing return of Afghan refugees from neighbouring countries and the rising inflation and lack of economic employment in the host countries.
The officials said some returnees were introduced to aid agencies such as International Organization for Migration (IOM) to receive necessary air.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of power in August 2021, the number of Afghan refugees entering the neighbouring countries of Iran and Pakistan has risen once more. While some Afghan refugees have been forcefully deported, others willingly left the host countries, the officials said.