Over 3,000 migrants return to Afghanistan from Turkey in last 20 days

Over 3,000 Afghans have been transported from Turkey to Kabul for deportation in the last 20 days, Afghan news agency, Khaama Press reported citing the head of the Ministry of Refugees' Legal Support Directorate.

According to the source, among the 3,090 people deported by plane were seven families and seven children.

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) has provided monetary support to 3,083 of these persons, with a total aid of 36,996,000 Afghanis, reported Khaama Press.

Quoting sources, the Afghan news agency stated that 1,402 of them have gotten healthcare services from the same office, and 2,416 people have been added to the contact list.

Meanwhile, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees' Affairs and the International Organisation for Migration's joint receiving office at Kabul International Airport had been temporarily closed owing to the country's government transition.

Recently, neighbouring countries including Iran, Pakistan, and Turkey have increased deportation operations in response to the country's continued acute humanitarian crisis, which has been compounded by the Herat earthquake.

According to Khaama Press, over 6,000 Afghan migrants re-entered the nation in a single day, according to reports, via the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings. The Afghan Ministry of Refugees said on Sunday that by Saturday, November 11, a total of 6,101 Afghan migrants had returned through the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings.

Many Afghans who arrived in Pakistan after the Taliban takeover in August 2021 had been encouraged to apply for resettlement programs in various countries, including the US, UK, Canada, and Germany, but have been left in a state of limbo with expired Pakistani visas and lengthy resettlement processes, making them vulnerable to detention and deportation.