WANA (Jul 12) – The United Nations has announced that by the end of this year, up to three million Afghan migrants are expected to return to their homeland from Iran and Pakistan, raising humanitarian and logistical concerns in the region.

 

According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the return process has already begun. Over 500,000 migrants have reportedly crossed from Iran into Afghanistan in recent weeks alone, and the flow continues.

 

In an online press briefing from Kabul on Friday, Arafat Jamal, the UNHCR representative in Afghanistan, confirmed that more than 1.6 million migrants — primarily from Iran — have already returned to Afghanistan so far this year.

 

Taliban Warns Iran Over Afghan Migrant Treatment

As the wave of returns intensifies, Taliban officials have issued stern warnings to Iran regarding the handling of Afghan migrants.

 

Abdul Salam Hanafi, Deputy Prime Minister of the Taliban government, urged Iranian authorities to treat Afghan nationals “with respect” and avoid any degrading behavior.

 

Simultaneously, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s chief spokesman, cautioned that the mass return of migrants from Iran is exceeding Afghanistan’s capacity. “We are assisting them, but our resources are limited,” he said.

 

On the other side, the Iranian government has stressed that the repatriation will proceed gradually and with respect for human dignity, amid international scrutiny and concerns over the treatment of migrants.