1.8m Afghans deported from Iran in 3 months: MoRR

KABUL (Pajhwok): About six million Afghans are living as refugees in neighboring and other countries, but around 1.8 million Afghan refugees have been deported from Iran in past three months, an official said on Wednesday.

Professional deputy minister for the Refugees and Repatriation Affairs Shaikh Abdul Rahman Rashid made these remarks at the Government and Media Center today, during a program to explain the ministry’s one-year achievements.

“About 1.8 million Afghan refugees have been forcibly deported from Iran, while 184,459 refugees have been forcibly deported from Pakistan and 5,134 others from Turkey in last three months”.

Currently, there are about six million Afghan refugees living in different countries, and 2.5 million internally displaced people across the country.

According to Rashid, there were 48 informal camps for internally displaced people in different areas of Kabul, but last year, in coordination with these displaced families, 25 camps, where 5,347 families lived, were evacuated and these families were transferred to their original homes.

At the meeting, Maulvi Mahmudul Haq Ahadi, Director of Planning and Policy at the Ministry, explained that last year, totally, 9,951 Afghans were released from prisons in Iran and Pakistan and transferred to Afghanistan.

Last year, 20,000 returnees were provided with educational opportunities to complete their remaining education.

He said during the past year, coordination was made for the return of 100 professional cadres, specialists, businessmen, and industrialists, and 400 professional cadres, businessmen, and industrialists in various countries had been confirmed and recognized.

Ahadi said last year, 13,587 families were displaced within the country due to drought, floods, earthquakes, storms, and natural and unnatural disasters.

On the other hand, he explained, based on the order of the Islamic Emirates, 38 townships were established in 29 provinces covering an area of 50,294 acres of land, with surveys of 29 towns completed and of 9 towns underway.

In order to improve the situation of returned refugees and internally displaced persons, 49 development and infrastructure projects worth over 1.169 billion Afghanis and 4.460 million dollars have been implemented in 11 provinces of the country with the cooperation of partner institutions.

He added in the past year, the Permanent Residency (POR) cards of Afghan refugees in Pakistan, which numbered around 1.4 million, were extended until June 2025.

Recently, Iran and Pakistan have stepped up deporting Afghan refugees.

hz/ma