Amu:

By Siyar Sira

Iran deported more than 70,000 Afghan migrants in the span of a week, according to data from the Taliban-run Commission for Refugee Affairs.

The figures, covering the period from July 19 to July 25, show that 70,830 Afghans were expelled and returned through two major border crossings: Islam Qala in Herat province and the Silk Bridge in Nimroz.

During the same week, Pakistan also deported 2,690 Afghans—both forcibly and voluntarily—through the border crossings of Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Angoor Ada in Paktika province.

The sharp uptick in deportations comes amid mounting concern from international humanitarian organizations. Jan Egeland, Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council, said this week that more than 1.5 million Afghans have returned from Iran in recent months, many of them without shelter, support, or financial resources.

“These returns are putting unprecedented strain on the humanitarian system in Afghanistan,” Egeland said in a post on X. “The system is on the brink of collapse—just as critical funding has been slashed.”

Iranian authorities have set a new September deadline for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country or face arrest and forced deportation. Aid agencies warn that continued expulsions will deepen what is already one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.

More than 22 million people in Afghanistan are in need of humanitarian assistance, according to the United Nations. Mr. Egeland has called for an immediate halt to forced returns and urged the international community to increase support for Afghan refugees and the countries that host them.

Pakistan, too, has accelerated its deportation campaign, drawing criticism from international rights groups who say Afghan migrants are being expelled without due process.

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