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ISLAMABAD: The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) says about 900 Iranian nationals alongside a small number of other foreign nationals have crossed into Pakistan via Iran-Pakistan border in Balochistan.
In its ‘Iran Regional Escalation Situation Report’ published on Wednesday, IOM says nearly 3,500 individuals crossed the Iran-Pakistan border during the first eight days of March, and the majority of those recorded were Pakistani nationals returning from Iran, representing about 73 per cent arrivals of around 2,500 individuals. The remaining 27 per cent — approximately 900 individuals — were Iranian nationals, alongside a small number of other foreign nationals.
The IOM says no significant security-related disruptions to humanitarian operations have been reported.
The IOM has cautioned that humanitarian needs are increasing across multiple countries as displacement rises prompted by regional tensions elevated following US-Israel attacks against Iran that triggered war in the Middle East.
The report states that cross border mobility remains affected by varying levels of restrictions across entry and exit points, while large scale outflows have not been reported, monitoring at eastern and western borders continues, with partners observing reduced Afghan return flows linked to movement restrictions and transportation challenges inside Iran.
The IOM has activated its ‘Institutional Scale-Up Protocols’ in response to the Iran and regional crisis for six months, mobilising corporate coordination, surge capacity, fast-tracked procedures and preparedness measures to ensure a rapid, efficient and well-coordinated response to evolving needs on the ground.
The operating environment continues to be shaped by missile and drone activity across the Middle East.
Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2026
