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Since 15 September, there has been a notable surge in the number of returnees to Afghanistan, taking place primarily through the Torkham and Spin Boldak border crossings, following the announcement on 3 October by Pakistan’s national Apex Committee of the plan to repatriate over a million foreigners without valid documents, mostly Afghans. There have been over 632,000 returnees recorded up to 15 June 2024, with numbers increasing from less than 200 per day in early October to more than 25,000 by early November.
In March 2024, the Pakistan federal interior ministry has issued orders to resume the repatriation process, targetting primarily Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders, starting from April 15, 2024. However, the current levels of new arrivals do not indicate that the reported second wave has already started. The Border Consortium will continue to monitor the situation in coordination with IOM and UNHCR Pakistan, and will promptly relay confirmed updates while actively working with partners on preparedness plans. In April and May 2024, the average number of returnees from Iran also saw an increase in figures compared to previous months, with the weekly average returnees reaching nearly 30,000 individuals, a rise from 18,000 returnees per week in January 2024. The consortium partners continue to respond to vulnerable returnees from Iran at the Milak and Islam Qala border points.