KABUL (Pajhwok): More than 5,500 Afghan refugees were forcibly deported from neighboring Pakistan and Iran in a single day, an official said on Wednesday.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), shared a report from the High Commission for Addressing Migrants' Issues on his X account, showing that 689 families, totaling 5,496 individuals, returned to the country on Tuesday.

The returnees entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala crossing in Herat, Pul-i-Abresham in Nimroz, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, Bahramcha in Helmand, and the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar.

Fitrat said 856 returning families (4,800 individuals) were transported to their respective areas, while 563 families received humanitarian assistance. Additionally, telecommunication companies distributed 536 SIM cards to the returning refugees.

He noted that on Monday, nearly 3,164 Afghan refugees were also forcibly deported from Iran and Pakistan.

hz/sa

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