The daily number of Afghan migrants returning from Iran has surged to nearly 50,000, many arriving exhausted, disoriented and traumatized after difficult journeys, according to a senior United Nations official.
“Many of these returnees have been suddenly uprooted from their homes and have endured grueling, humiliating journeys,” said Arafat Jamal, the Afghanistan representative for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). “They arrive tired, confused, having faced violence and despair — only to be dispersed through crowded centers in 40-degree [Celsius] heat.”
In a new report, UNHCR warned that unfamiliarity with Afghanistan — particularly among second- or third-generation Afghans born and raised abroad — has made reintegration especially complex. Many returnees have never lived in Afghanistan and bring with them cultural norms and expectations that often clash with those now imposed by Taliban authorities.
“They are from Afghanistan, but they are not of Afghanistan,” Jamal said. “Most were born and raised outside the country, with different levels of education and cultural values that often stand in stark contrast to the current reality here.”
The report said that the scale and speed of the returns — primarily from Iran but also from Pakistan — have placed unsustainable pressure on Afghanistan’s already strained border provinces, which are ill-equipped to absorb large influxes of people. The influx, UNHCR noted, has deepened poverty, insecurity and humanitarian need in a country still reeling from economic collapse and ongoing rights violations.
More than 1.6 million Afghans were returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2024 alone — surpassing projections for the entire year. And already in 2025, the number of returnees has exceeded one million, according to UN agencies, the vast majority expelled through forced deportations.
Women and girls, the UN said, face the most jarring transitions — from relative autonomy in host countries to life under Taliban rule, where their freedoms are sharply restricted by decree.
While some returns are voluntary, Jamal emphasized that many occur under pressure or without adequate support. Those affected include both registered refugees and individuals in “refugee-like situations” who may face serious protection risks upon arrival.
UNHCR has called for increased international support to assist both returnees and host communities and warned that without urgent aid and planning, Afghanistan’s fragile systems may not withstand the growing burden.
