26 Afghan detainees released from Pakistani prisons and repatriated home

On Wednesday, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation in Afghanistan announced that 26 Afghan detainees were released from Pakistani prisons and repatriated to their homeland. The detainees, including women and children, were brought from prisons in Pakistan via the Spin Boldak border crossing. They had been detained for lacking residency documents.

Over the past few months, there have been hundreds of undocumented Afghan nationals, including women and children, who have been imprisoned in Pakistan, mainly in Karachi and Sindh, leading to fierce criticism by national and international organizations. The Pakistan Human Rights Commission and the UN Refugee Agency have urged the Pakistani government to treat Afghan citizens with dignity.

Earlier this month, 137 Afghan citizens were also released from Karachi prison and returned home.

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