KABUL, Nov. 5 (Xinhua) -- Afghan authorities on Thursday confirmed the release and repatriation of 416 Afghan inmates from Pakistani prisons over the past week, according to a statement from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.
The freed prisoners entered Afghanistan via the Torkham border crossing in eastern Nangarhar province. After receiving assistance at the frontier, they were transferred to their respective home provinces, said the statement.
More than 1.3 million Afghans have returned from neighboring Iran and Pakistan so far in 2026, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported last week.
An estimated 6 million Afghans, the majority of them undocumented, remain abroad, primarily in Iran and Pakistan.
Authorities in both countries have called on undocumented foreign nationals to end their irregular stay and return to their countries of origin.
The Afghan government has repeatedly urged Afghan refugees and migrants to return home and take part in the country's reconstruction efforts. ■