On Tuesday, a total of 188 Afghan families who had been residing in neighboring countries in recent years returned to Afghanistan, as regional tensions continue to intensify.

AnsarPress:66 families entered the country through the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimroz Province, while 122 others returned via the Islam Qala border point in Herat.

These returns come at a time when security tensions between the Taliban and Pakistani forces have led to the closure of the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings, temporarily halting the flow of returnees from Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the systematic deportations of Afghan refugees from both Iran and Pakistan continue unabated, forcing thousands of families to return to a country plagued by economic collapse, mass unemployment, and severe social restrictions.

Taliban authorities have described these returns as "voluntary repatriations," yet independent reports indicate that many of the returnees are being coerced - either through security threats, economic pressure, or outright forced deportation by the host countries.

This large-scale return is taking place in a context where Afghanistan lacks the infrastructure necessary for reintegration and social or economic absorption. The influx of returnees is placing additional strain on the country`s fragile humanitarian aid systems and urban resources.

Analysts warn that the crisis not only exacerbates Afghanistan`s already dire humanitarian situation, but could also serve as a political bargaining tool for the Taliban in their regional dealings with Iran and Pakistan.

Meanwhile, the international community has largely remained silent, adopting what observers describe as a "strategic silence" in the face of the cycle of deportations and forced returns that continues to devastate Afghan refugee populations across the region.