The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees reported that more than 1.6 million Afghans have sought refuge in Iran and Pakistan since 2021, fleeing instability and seeking protection in neighboring countries.
According to the report, these two nations now host a combined Afghan population of over eight million.
The agency also revealed that Afghans now constitute the world’s largest refugee population, surpassing Syrian nationals. In the first half of 2024 alone, more than 156,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan, the report stated.
Pakistan currently hosts approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees, alongside an additional 1.5 million Afghan nationals of various statuses. However, the report noted a shift in Pakistan’s policy in 2023, with the government implementing the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.” The policy aims to repatriate more than one million undocumented foreign nationals, primarily Afghans.
Since the rollout of this plan, some 647,000 Afghans—most of them undocumented—have returned to Afghanistan under pressure or fearing arrest, according to the U.N. report.
Iran, meanwhile, has become the largest refugee-hosting nation globally, with at least 3.8 million refugees and refugee-like individuals within its borders. This includes over one million Afghan refugees who arrived since 2021.
The report highlighted ongoing concerns from Afghan migrants over their treatment in both Iran and Pakistan. Many have reported mistreatment and other challenges in these host countries as they navigate life in exile.
