The Taliban’s Commission for Refugees reported that on Thursday, September 11, a total of 10,746 people returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan.
According to the figures, 75 percent of returnees came from Pakistan, while the rest entered through Islam Qala in Herat and Pul-e Abrisham in Nimroz province from Iran.
Taliban statistics indicate that since September 1, roughly 177,000 people have crossed back into Afghanistan from the two neighboring countries. The data does not distinguish between voluntary and forced returns.
This year, Iran is expected to expel up to 2 million Afghan migrants, while Pakistan has announced plans to deport 1.3 million in the current phase.
The mass influx has created severe challenges for Afghanistan, which is already grappling with overlapping economic, humanitarian, and governance crises. The Taliban has so far been unable to adequately meet the urgent needs of returnees.
International isolation and sanctions have further restricted the regime’s ability to provide basic services.
For many families, returning means hardship—children pulled out of school and sent to work, simply to secure enough bread for survival.
