UN Warns of Crisis as 1.5 Million Afghan Migrants Return From Pakistan and Iran

More than 1.5 million Afghan migrants have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries since the start of 2025, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Tolo News reported.

In a report released on July 19, the OCHA said, “As of 19 July, 1,541,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan in 2025, including 1,201,000 from Iran and 340,000 from Pakistan.”

The UN agency noted that while returnee flows from Iran remained high, around 460,000 between July 1 and 19, the pace of daily deportations had begun to decline, with approximately 9,000 Afghans arriving per day as of mid-July. This downward trend, it added, may be linked to “ongoing diplomatic discussions between de facto authority officials from Afghanistan and the Government of Iran,” Tolo News reported.

Around 340,000 Afghan Migrants Returned From Pakistan

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate said 11,605 people returned to Afghanistan on Monday alone, with 1,811 of them relocated to their home provinces. “In the past two days, 19,002 migrants have returned from Iran and Pakistan, both voluntarily and through forced deportation,” said Abdulmutalib Haqqani, spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation.

Ali Reza Karimi, a migrants’ rights advocate, voiced concern over the scale of removals, stating, “Unfortunately, between 10,000 to 20,000 Afghan migrants are being forcibly deported from Iran on a daily basis. The Afghan government must respond by establishing reception centers, providing initial aid, and creating short-term job opportunities to ease the burden on returnees,” as quoted by Tolo News.

UN Has Urged Iran To Stop Forced Deportation of Afghan Migrants

Some deported Afghans also recounted their struggles. Abdul Wadood, who was deported from Iran, said, “We have no shelter in Afghanistan. Our request from the Islamic Emirate is to support and help us.”

Jalal, a deported child, appealed for educational support. “My wish is to go to school. I ask the government to help me study,” he said.

According to Tolo News, the situation has prompted the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, during a recent visit to Iran, to call for an end to forced deportations and propose a trilateral meeting involving Tehran, Kabul, and UNHCR.

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