Over 13,000 cross into Pakistan from Iran after war: UN
IOM reports steady inflows through border crossings, with early surge driven by Pakistani returnees and later rise in Iranian nationals
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (MNTV) — More than 13,000 people have crossed into Pakistan from Iran over the past six weeks following a war launched by the United States and Israel, the United Nations migration agency said, with an average of nearly 300 arrivals per day.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a total of 13,044 individuals entered Pakistan, primarily through the Taftan-Mirjaveh crossing, which accounted for 10,372 people, and the Gabd-Kumb-Rimdan crossing, which recorded 2,672 arrivals.
Inflows were highest during the first two weeks of March, driven largely by Pakistani returnees, including students and tourists, who came back after the outbreak of the conflict.
Cross-border movement declined sharply in the third week of March due to the Ramadan and Eid al-Fitr holidays, before rising again in subsequent weeks, though not to earlier levels.
The IOM said the proportion of Pakistani returnees dropped after the holidays, likely because most had already returned earlier. In contrast, inflows of Iranian nationals rose again to pre-holiday levels, though the reasons remain unclear.
Pakistani authorities reported that all Iranian entrants possessed valid documentation, including visas, passports or local movement permits. Officials said the movements may reflect routine travel such as tourism, family visits or transit, as well as precautionary trips amid uncertainty in Iran.
As of April 13, authorities recorded 52 third-country nationals entering Pakistan, most of them tourists or business travelers. Many had been stranded in Iran due to flight disruptions and used land routes through Pakistan to return home.
Regional mobility shifts
The report also highlighted significant cross-border movement involving Afghanistan. A total of 170,153 people entered Afghanistan from Iran during the same period, averaging 3,867 daily crossings, while 73,246 moved in the opposite direction.
The movement remained largely stable, with only temporary declines during Nowruz and Eid holidays. The resumption of taxi transit services after a prolonged suspension helped improve cross-border mobility.
A slight increase in travel toward Iran followed the announcement of a ceasefire between the United States and Iran. Between April 7 and 13, IOM’s displacement tracking matrix recorded 1,144 movements of Iranian nationals from Afghanistan to Iran, compared to 37 movements in the opposite direction.
Most crossings occurred at Islam Qala, which recorded 874 outbound movements and all inbound flows during the period, while Milak saw 270 departures and Abu Nasr Farahi reported no activity.
The report said movements of Iranian nationals transiting through Afghanistan were structured and well-documented, with 75% traveling as families and all carrying valid identification.
Most of these travelers had been residing in the United Arab Emirates and were transiting overland due to flight disruptions, with Iran’s Sistan-Baluchistan province identified as their primary destination.
Afghan return patterns
The IOM noted contrasting trends among Afghan nationals. Returns from Iran to Afghanistan were driven mainly by protection concerns (46%), forced returns (34%) and economic pressures such as job losses (15%).
More than half of those returning had lived in Iran long term before heading back, underscoring the broader impact of regional instability on migration patterns.
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