Extensive vehicle checking slows Afghans’ repatriation at Torkham

At the Torkham border, extensive and repeated vehicle inspections have significantly slowed the repatriation process for Afghan families returning to their homeland. Customs authorities have implemented a comprehensive examination of all goods carried by these families, even though electronic scanning is also conducted at the customs terminal.

This manual examination, conducted despite electronic scanning, has led to long delays as returning Afghans are forced to wait for hours before receiving gate passes to cross the border.

Local custom clearing agents argue that the manual inspection of personal belongings is unnecessary following electronic vehicle scanning, as the scanning results already detail all the goods present in the vehicles. They question the necessity of this manual examination, citing an additional financial burden in the form of Rs8,500 charged per vehicle for electronic scanning, plus the cost of arranging laborers for the physical checks under the watchful eyes of custom officials.

Custom officials defend their actions, stating they are following strict instructions from the Federal Board of Revenue in Islamabad to thoroughly inspect every vehicle carrying returning Afghan families. They claim they are complying with these orders due to fears of smuggling trade goods disguised as personal belongings. Customs staff are also accused of involvement in illegal exports of certain trade goods hidden in these vehicles.

The slow examination process has been exacerbated by a drastic reduction in the number of gate passes issued daily, down to only 10-15 vehicles compared to over 200 just a week prior. This has caused considerable hardship for returning Afghans who are forced to wait in extreme heat and humidity while their belongings are being inspected.

Local clearing agents and transporters suggest that the process could be expedited if staff members from all relevant government departments and border security were present at the scanning machine during electronic scanning, allowing for a more efficient clearance of returning vehicles.