KABUL, July 28 (Xinhua) -- Around 1.5 million Afghan refugees have returned to their homeland, Afghanistan, over the past seven months, with the vast majority coming from Iran, local media outlet TOLOnews reported on Monday.
According to the report, approximately 1.2 million refugees returned from Iran, most of whom were undocumented migrants. The remaining came from Pakistan.
The report noted that 43 percent of the returnees from Iran are children under the age of 18, while 53 percent of those returning from Pakistan are from the same age group.
The large-scale repatriation occurs in response to calls from the Afghan interim government, which urges neighboring countries to exercise restraint and reduce the rate of expulsions.
The authorities of both countries have asked undocumented foreign nationals to end their illegal stay and return home. ■
