More than 5.4 million Afghans have been repatriated to Afghanistan since October 2023, the majority from Pakistan and Iran, according to Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan.
“This represents massive. And the speed and scale have pushed Afghanistan to the brink,” he said via video link from Kabul.
Pakistan began a crackdown on undocumented foreigners in 2023, urging people to return home voluntarily to avoid arrest and deportation. Iran initiated its own expulsions around the same time.
In Pakistan, Afghans were labeled as terrorists and criminals, and in 2025, Pakistani authorities also began revoking residency permits and deporting individuals with valid documentation.
Harassed and Arrested
Since the campaign began, people have streamed across the border, including individuals born in Pakistan decades ago who had built their lives and businesses there.
Analysts suggest the 2023 expulsions were intended to pressure the Taliban authorities, whom Pakistan at the time accused of being behind increasing attacks along the countries’ shared border.
Afghan nationals in Pakistan reported arbitrary arrests, extortion, and harassment by Pakistani authorities.
Just last year, 2.9 million people entered Afghanistan, and an additional 150,000 have arrived so far this year. Collectively, those arriving in the country represent 12 percent of Afghanistan’s population.
Afghan refugees wait to register in a camp near the Torkham Pakistan-Afghanistan border in Torkham, Afghanistan. Photo: Ebrahim Noroozi
Struggling with a Crisis
The Taliban government in Afghanistan has criticized the deportations from neighboring countries. Afghanistan is already grappling with a severe humanitarian crisis and serious human rights violations, particularly for women and girls.
The Taliban provides each returning family with compact packages containing some food, cash, a SIM card, and transportation to where they may have family.
However, even this places a significant strain on resources in a country struggling with a weak economy and the aftermath of severe drought and multiple earthquakes.
“The high number of returnees is worrying, especially as winter is harsh, with freezing temperatures and heavy snowfall in large parts of the country,” Jamal said.
He added that 5 percent of those who have returned plan to leave the country again, and over 10 percent say they know someone in their community who has already left after returning.
The mass return of Afghan nationals from Pakistan and Iran is exacerbating an already dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, raising concerns about the country’s capacity to support its growing population. The situation highlights the complex geopolitical challenges facing the region and the ongoing plight of Afghan refugees.
