Over 1,200 Afghan nationals released from Pakistani prisons in 15 days

Over 1,200 Afghan nationals have been released from Pakistani prisons and returned to Afghanistan within the last 15 days, Amu TV reported. Between May 8 and May 24, a total of 1,284 Afghan detainees were freed from various detention facilities across Pakistan.

While the Taliban have not clarified the reasons for these arrests, Pakistani media reports suggest that most individuals were detained due to lacking valid legal residency documents. The length of detention varied, with some spending just one day in custody and others held for more than ten days. On May 24 alone, 230 Afghan nationals were released and repatriated.

This wave of releases is part of a broader repatriation trend amid ongoing forced expulsions of Afghan migrants from Pakistan. The Norwegian Refugee Council recently reported that over one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan since the expulsion campaign began in September 2023. These returnees are entering an Afghanistan currently grappling with severe economic collapse, widespread poverty, and pressing protection challenges.

Looking ahead, the Norwegian Refugee Council projects that approximately 600,000 more Afghan migrants could be expelled from Pakistan and return home in 2025. This anticipated influx threatens to exacerbate the already critical humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, where resources and infrastructure remain under significant strain.