Afghans flee to neighbouring Pakistan en masse following Taliban takeover

Afghans have been fleeing across the border into neighbouring Pakistan, with many saying the situation in their homeland has become dangerous and unpredictable since the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul on August 15, 2021. Pakistanis fear the influx of Afghan refugees may place an additional burden on their economy. But on August 23, 2021, groups were seen crossing at Chaman, a Pakistani city along the 2,639km (1,640-mile) frontier the nations share. Driven by decades of social unrest in Afghanistan, an estimated 1.4 million Afghan refugees had fled to Pakistan as of 2020.