500 Afghan Families Deported from Pakistan in a Single Day

In the past 24 hours, approximately 500 Afghan families have been forcibly deported from Pakistan through the Torkham crossing.

Local authorities in Nangarhar have stated that the newly deported migrants were transferred to their original regions after receiving initial assistance.

Bakht Jamal Gohar, head of migrant transfers at Torkham, said: “Approximately 500 families have arrived in the last 24 hours. If we estimate an average of 8 members per family, that’s around 4,000 people. In addition, we have 300 individuals who were deported separately. Among these deportees are both documented and undocumented individuals.”

Meanwhile, deported families have complained of mistreatment by Pakistani police, saying that some of their family members and belongings remain in Pakistan.

Khadim Gul, deported from Pakistan, said: “They came after Eid and raided us. Women and children were taken to one place, and we men to another. Clothes, belongings, cattle—everything we owned was left behind. They treated us cruelly and demanded money, saying ‘Give 30,000 rupees, give 50,000 rupees.’”

Faridullah, another deportee, said: “This is not how neighbors should treat each other. They took our possessions, money—everything—and then deported us.”

Shawkat Khan, also deported, said: “Every day they took between 10,000 to 30,000 rupees from us and treated us very badly. My cousins were detained, and their belongings were confiscated as well.”

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has assured that necessary facilities are being provided to deported migrants at the Torkham township.