IOM: More than 3.5 million Afghans migrated in two years

ATLANTA (Pajhwok): The International Organization of Migration (IOM) has said more than 3.5 million Afghans migrated to foreign countries and 1.7 million Afghans returned to their country during the past two years.

According to Radio Azadi report, the previous government of Afghanistan collapsed on August 15 2021 and replaced by the current caretaker government of Islamic Emirate, triggering mass exodus of Afghans seeking refuge in foreign and neighboring countries.

The report said during the matter of two years 3.5 million Afghans migrated to other countries, with 70 percent of them going to Iran, 18 percent to Pakistan and 11 percent to Turkey and two percent to European countries.

IOM said since the Taliban retook power in 2021, as many as 1.9 million Afghans had left their country.

The source said in 2021 and 2022, 40 percent of Afghans migrated from Kabul, Herat, Nangarhar, Faryab and Takhar provinces and 60 percent from the remaining provinces.

On the other hand, 1.7 million Afghan migrants returned to their country due to pressures on them in host countries.

Sixty percent of the returnees arrived from Iran, 17 percent from Pakistan, 11 percent from Turkey and two percent from European countries.

Some countries have started programs of giving legal asylum to Afghans who faced threat in 2021 after the collapse of the previous government.

According to the source, more and more Afghans are still leaving their country illegally.

The caretaker government is yet to comment about this report, but on May 28, the Acting Minister of Refugees and Returnee Affairs, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, had said that in the past 20 months, 1.3 million Afghan refugees had returned to the country.

Haqqani said currently over seven million Afghan migrants were living in other countries as refugees.

aw/ma

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