Hundreds of Afghans Released from Pakistani Prisons Return Home

Hundreds of Afghan nationals who had been detained in Pakistani prisons for lacking valid legal documents were released and repatriated last week.

According to the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, 763 people returned via the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings, with 230 arriving at Torkham and 533 at Spin Boldak. They were registered, given humanitarian assistance and sent to their home provinces. Reports put the figure of released Afghans at nearly 800 in some accounts.

Nearly 800 families returned from Pakistan and Iran on Thursday through border points including Torkham, Spin Boldak, the Silk Road in Nimroz and Islam Qala in Herat. The High Commission for Addressing the Problems of Refugees provided registration, financial aid, temporary housing and awareness sessions. It distributed 721 SIM cards and allocated land plots to 513 families, raising the total to 43,127.

Pakistan deported 18,794 Afghan migrants in the week of 15-21 Jawza while Iran deported at least 832, according to the Taliban High Commission for Refugees. Broader figures from the International Organization for Migration show 114,321 returns from both countries between April 26 and May 9, for a total exceeding 3.5 million since January 2025.