Taliban: Thousands of Afghans Returning From Iran

Date: 28 August 2023 - 21:59

News ID: ۱۱۸۸۲۶

KABUL (Dispatches) -- Thousands of Afghan refugees are returning to Afghanistan from Iran, according to the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations.

A ministry statement posted on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, on Monday claimed that 2627 Afghan refugees had returned via the Islam Qala border crossing with Iran in Herat province on Sunday.

The statement came after a previous statement made on X on Sunday claimed that 774 Afghan refugees had returned to the country on Saturday.

Many of the returnees were referred to the UN’s International Organization for Migration office for assistance.

Although the reasons for the returns were not specified, the influx of refugees returning to Afghanistan from Iran comes amid perceived improvement of the situation in the war-torn country.

Many Afghans fled to Iran due to the Taliban’s takeover, with the UN stating the number of registered Afghans in the country now amounts to 780,000 people, with more than two million more undocumented.

Taliban rule has been accompanied by an economic downturn in the country that has meant an increase in poverty and child malnutrition.

The Taliban have also severely restricted women’s rights, with women being barred from secondary and university education, many forms of employment and public spaces.