Taliban’s Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani called on Afghan migrants to voluntarily return to their home country since overall security has improved throughout the country, according to reports.
On the occasion of the “World Refugee Day” marked on June 20, Minister Haqqani said prolonged years of war, and foreign invasions caused Afghan refugees to migrate to the neighboring countries mainly to Iran and Pakistan seeking safety and work.
Additionally, Haqqai asked the host countries to treat Afghan refugees with decency and avoid depriving them from their basic natural rights, and comply with the international principles and laws of the Geneva Convention.
According to the ministry, roughly two million Afghan refugees have returned to the country, and more than two million internally displaced people have been sent back to their regions.
This comes as Afghan refugees are currently faced with major challenges in Pakistan and Iran. The host countries continuously incarcerate and forcefully deport Afghan migrants for failing to provide legal stay permits or visas.
Since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, millions of Afghans migrated to Iran and Pakistan fearing death threats and persecution by the de fact authorities of Afghanistan. These migrants are now plagued with serious issues including harassment, detention and deportation by the host countries.
Following the recent arbitrary detention and harassment of Afghan migrants by Pakistani police, the Afghan refugees’ crisis has turned to a hot discussion topic among human rights organizations, UNHCR and advocacy groups in Afghanistan and Pakistan respectively.
