Roza Otunbayeva, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, has raised alarm over the sharp rise in deportations of Afghan migrants, warning that continued expulsions will make it increasingly difficult to provide them with essential support.

In a meeting on Monday with Abdul Salam Hanafi, the Taliban’s Deputy Prime Minister for Administrative Affairs, Otunbayeva said the return of Afghan migrants from Iran had surged at an alarming rate. She called for urgent international cooperation to respond to the growing needs of returnees.

Despite limited funding for humanitarian relief, Otunbayeva reaffirmed the UN’s commitment to supporting the Afghan people, especially those forcibly returned from abroad. She noted that the UN had convened multiple meetings urging neighbouring countries to pause deportations and voiced hope for outcomes that benefit Afghan nationals.

Also attending the meeting was Arafat Jamal, head of the UNHCR office in Afghanistan, who commended the Afghan public’s willingness to welcome returnees despite ongoing economic hardship.

In response, Hanafi outlined new measures taken by the Taliban at the Islam Qala and Pul-e-Abrisham border crossings, including expanding personnel, providing food and clean water, improving coordination between assigned committees, and setting up additional shelters for deportees.

Over the past two weeks, Iran has expelled hundreds of thousands of Afghan migrants, a move widely criticised by international observers, who warn it is exacerbating a growing humanitarian crisis inside Afghanistan. Despite repeated calls from the international community to halt the deportations, Iran has continued with mass expulsions.