The Taliban said the Pakistani government expelled 4,355 Afghan migrants on Wednesday, (29 April).
According to the Taliban’s High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Affairs, 4,010 of them entered Afghanistan through the Torkham crossing, 332 through Spin Boldak, and the remaining 13 through Bahramcha.
The deportation of Afghan migrants continues despite the deep challenges facing Afghanistan.
Migrants returning to the country have shared various accounts of harsh return procedures and mistreatment by police in their host countries.
Years of war and instability forced millions of Afghan citizens to migrate. Iran and Pakistan were among the countries that initially welcomed Afghan migrants and referred to them as “religious brothers.”
However, as conditions changed, both countries began deporting Afghan migrants. From September 2023 to September 2025, more than 4.5 million people were forcibly returned.
Calls by international organizations and human rights activists to halt the deportations have not been heeded.
Pakistan says security concerns are the reason behind its deportation campaign against Afghan migrants. Experts have argued that despite the expulsion of hundreds of thousands of migrants, Pakistan’s security situation has not improved, and therefore such a “justification” is not valid.
