Why Did Over 5,000 Afghan Refugee Families Return Home in Just One Day?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- 5,000 Afghan refugee families returned in one day.
- Majority of returnees came from Iran.
- Afghan government urges restraint from Iran on expulsions.
- Essential supplies provided to returnees.
- Over 1.5 million refugees have returned this year.
Kabul, July 11 (NationPress) On Thursday, over 5,000 Afghan refugee families made their way back to their native land, Afghanistan, with the majority coming from Iran, as reported by the state-run Bakhtar news agency on Friday.
Of those returning, 4,852 families were from Iran, while the remaining 153 families came from Pakistan, the outlet noted.
This significant influx of returnees is part of the ongoing response to the Afghan interim government's appeal to Iran, urging the host nation to show restraint in the expulsion of refugees, as Tehran has requested Afghan nationals living there illegally to depart.
In a recent declaration, the Office of the Prime Minister of the Afghan interim government expressed appreciation to Iran for accommodating Afghan refugees over the last forty years and emphasized the need to uphold the rights of these individuals, as reported by Bakhtar News Agency.
According to acting Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Mawlawi Abdul Salam Hanafi, more than half a million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Iran in just the past month.
This year, over 1.5 million Afghan refugees have reportedly come back from Iran and Pakistan, with the trend of returns continuing.
On June 26, an impressive number of over 30,000 Afghan refugees returned through the Islam Qala border crossing in western Herat, marking one of the most substantial mass returns in recent history, according to local officials.
In response to this wave of returnees, all essential supplies—including water, food, and immediate medical assistance—have been arranged for those coming back, stated Mawlawi Ahmadullah Muttaqi, Provincial Director of the Information and Culture Department, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
Afghanistan shares two critical border crossings with Iran, one located in western Herat province and the other in Nimroz province, both of which have recently experienced a marked rise in the number of returning refugees.