Pakistan Releases Afghan Migrants Amid Rising Deportation Concerns

Pakistan has released 104 Afghan migrants as part of an broader issue of Afghan deportations from Pakistan and Iran, pressing concerns about their welfare and reintegration. Over 3.4 million Afghans have returned or were expelled since 2023, with international bodies urging stronger reintegration support systems.

In a significant development amid the ongoing Afghan migrant crisis, Pakistan recently freed 104 Afghan individuals from detention centers, as confirmed by Afghanistan's Ministry of Refugees and Repatriates and reported by Khama Press on Monday.

According to Khama Press, these individuals were detained across Pakistan for days before their deportation to Afghanistan. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) also shed light on the broader issue, revealing that over 250,000 Afghan migrants returned from Iran and Pakistan in April alone, under challenging conditions.

This wave of deportations includes 96,000 individuals forcibly expelled. Since 2023, more than 3.4 million Afghans have either been expelled or compelled to return. The Afghan government has provided reintegration assistance, while calls grow for long-term strategies to address underlying factors driving migration, such as security and economic challenges.

(With inputs from agencies.)