Amid ongoing deportations from Iran and Pakistan, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that between July 16 and August 10, a total of 1,647 people entered Afghanistan from Tajikistan through the Sher Khan Bandar crossing in Kunduz province.
According to IOM, these arrivals were primarily for family visits, trade, and work, while only 976 were returning to Afghanistan either voluntarily or by force — with the majority being forcibly deported.
During the same 25-day period, 687 people crossed into Tajikistan, indicating that despite Dushanbe’s deportation measures and plans to expand removals, individuals continue to enter Tajikistan for employment or to use it as a transit route to third countries.
Currently, Iran, Pakistan, and Tajikistan are all actively expelling migrants from Afghanistan. IOM says that in less than two years, over 4 million people have returned to Afghanistan.
Tajikistan had earlier announced plans to deport migrants due to alleged violations committed by some of them. On July 17, authorities in Vahdat city summoned a group of migrants and asylum seekers from Afghanistan, ordering them to leave the country within 15 days.
According to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, between October 2024 and July 2025, Tajikistan deported at least 485 people from Afghanistan.
The new figures suggest the pace of deportations from Tajikistan is now increasing. Afghanistan, however, lacks the infrastructure and resources to adequately support these returnees.
