Hundreds of Afghan migrants return home from Iran

KABUL (Khaama Press): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan has reported that continuing the trend, hundreds of Afghan migrants have recently returned home from Iran.

The ministry wrote on its X page on Monday that about 590 Afghan migrants resident in Iran returned to the country.

Officials of the Ministry of Refugee Affairs announced that the aforementioned migrants forcibly and voluntarily re-entered the country on Monday.

The ministry added that the returning migrants re-entered the country through the Islam Qala border of Herat province.

It is worth mentioning that the returnees were registered with the refugee administration for assistance to the offices of the United Nations High Commissioner and the International Organization for Migration.

Recently, the wave of expulsions of Afghan citizens from Iran has intensified, and in most cases, the main reason for the expulsion of Afghan citizens from this country is said to be the lack of legal residency documents.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has stepped up its forced deportation of Afghan citizens since November 1st, coinciding with the onset of harsh winter conditions and a severe humanitarian crisis within the country.

Pakistani officials justify these expulsions by citing security concerns, asserting that the removal of Afghan citizens is necessary. They maintain that these measures are essential to maintain national safety and order.

In contrast, the Taliban administration vehemently denies these accusations. They assert that they do not permit any activities that would use Afghan territory against neighboring countries, signalling a dispute between the two nations over the treatment and rights of Afghan citizens in Pakistan.

15 Afghan citizens released from Pakistani prisons: The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation of Afghanistan has announced the release of 15 Afghan citizens from Pakistani prisons.

On Monday, the Ministry issued a press release stating that 15 imprisoned citizens from Afghanistan have been released from the Quetta prison in Pakistan.

The Ministry’s press release mentioned that the prisoners were released on the 23rd of December and have been returned to their country.

The Border Command of Spin Boldak in Kandahar province stated that the prisoners were initially detained by Pakistani police due to the lack of proper residency documents and were later released and deported from Pakistan.

It is noteworthy that just a week earlier, the Ministry of Refugees had reported the release of 99 Afghan citizens from Pakistani prisons.

While Afghan citizens have previously been arrested and deported from Pakistan for various reasons, Pakistani officials have repeatedly emphasized that the main reason for the arrest of Afghan migrants in their country is the lack of legal residency documents.