The forced repatriation of Afghan refugees residing illegally in Pakistan has accelerated, with the latest figures showing that 5,363 Afghan refugees were sent back across the border to Afghanistan in a single day. The Afghan authorities’ Committee for the Resolution of Refugee Issues has officially confirmed the development.
According to a report issued by the High Commission for Afghan Refugee Affairs, the majority of the 5,363 returnees were transferred through the Torkham border crossing, which connects Pakistan’s Khyber district with Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province. A total of 4,469 individuals were repatriated via Torkham, while 562 Afghan refugees were sent back through the Spin Boldak border in Balochistan’s Chaman region. Additional returns were also recorded through other border routes.
The commission stated that registration and documentation procedures for the returning individuals have been completed, and that emergency humanitarian assistance and food supplies were provided to them upon arrival. After initial processing and transport arrangements, the returning families were dispatched to their respective home regions inside Afghanistan.
The report also highlighted that a day earlier, 4,685 Afghan refugees were similarly deported from Pakistan, indicating a sustained and ongoing increase in repatriation pressure along the border crossings.
Authorities say the repatriation process is part of a broader enforcement drive targeting undocumented foreign nationals, while border monitoring and administrative procedures remain in place to manage the continued movement of returnees.
