Kabul, Dec 18: A senior Taliban official reported Thursday that more than 5,500 Afghan refugees were forcibly repatriated from Pakistan and Iran in a single day on Wednesday, highlighting a continued large-scale return of displaced Afghans under pressure from neighboring countries.

Sharing the High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues report on X, Taliban Deputy Spokesperson Mullah Hamdullah Fitrat stated that 863 families, comprising 5,591 people, returned to Afghanistan on Wednesday, Pajhwok Afghan News reported.

He said that Afghan returnees travelled to Afghanistan through the Islam Qala crossing in Herat, Bahramcha in Helmand, Pul-i-Abresham in Nimroz, Torkham crossing in Nangarhar and Spin Boldak in Kandahar. He stated that 1,311 families, comprising 7,165 people, were taken to their respective areas, while 849 families were provided humanitarian assistance.

Furthermore, telecommunication firms provided 937 SIM cards to refugees who recently returned to Afghanistan.

Fitrat stated that 3005 Afghan refugees were forcibly deported from Iran and Pakistan on Tuesday.

As the deportation of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan continues, several returnees living in a migrant camp in Kabul have criticised the Pakistani police's mistreatment and mentioned that all their belongings were left behind in that country, Afghanistan's Tolo News reported.

Last week, Afghan returnees raised immediate demand for shelter, land, economic assistance, and job opportunities.

Speaking to Tolo News, Jamaluddin, who has been deported from Pakistan, said: "We were forcibly expelled; some of our belongings remained there. Here, we have neither money nor shelter. The problems are overwhelming; it’s cold, and winter has arrived."

Another deportee from Pakistan, Gulzar, said: "We were expelled. That country was foreign. Now we’ve returned to our homeland, and I call on the Islamic Emirate to support us."

Several deported Afghan refugees have said that they have lost all their property and belongings in Pakistan and have urged the Taliban to provide shelter, emergency aid, and employment opportunities.

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Jan Mohammad, a returnee from Iran, said: "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan must help these people; they have no place to live. I myself am heading to Jawzjan province and have nowhere to stay."

(IANS)