Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation says 604 Afghan citizens released from prisons in Pakistan returned home this week. The ministry said the returnees had spent varying periods in detention before being released and transferred back to Afghanistan.
According to the ministry, 519 people entered through the Torkham crossing in Nangarhar, while another 85 returned through Spin Boldak in Kandahar, bringing the total to 604.
Afghan authorities said the returnees were registered after arrival and received assistance before arrangements were made to transport them to their home areas. The ministry did not specify the legal circumstances of every detention or how long each person had spent in custody.
The development comes as arrests, documentation rules and returns of Afghan migrants in Pakistan remain an important humanitarian and diplomatic issue between Kabul and Islamabad. The figure of 604 is an official Afghan government count and has also been reported by Pajhwok Afghan News citing the ministry.