ISLAMABAD: The Inte­r­national Organi­sation for Migration (IOM) has said in a report that a notable increase in crossings from Iran to Pakistan had emerged by mid-March.

Titled ‘Regional Iran Escalation Mobility Mon­itoring’, the report stated that these crossings were driven by a further incr­ease in Pakistani returnees, as well as inflows of Iranian traders, businesspeople, and others.

According to the IOM, Pakistani authorities noted that all Iranian inflows held either valid Pakistani visas and passports or local passes allowing free movement.

“No movements into Pakistan have emerged that could be viewed as refugee inflows,” the IOM monitoring report emphasised. Eighty per cent of total flows into Pakistan from Iran enter via Taftan-Mirjaveh border crossing.

Between March 1 and 16, a total of 6,726 individuals crossed from Iran into Pakistan through the Taftan-Mirjaveh (5,348) and Gabd-Kumb-Rimdan (1,378) land border crossings. “Most of those entering Pakistan from Iran are Pak­istani returnees or individuals holding valid passports, visas and/or trader licences allowing them to cross into Pakis­tan,” the report stated.

It said 21 third-country nationals in Pak­istan were recorded: 10 from Tan­zania, five from Oman, two from the UK, two from Canada, and one each from China and Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, March 26th, 2026