KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that nearly eight million Afghan citizens have migrated since 2020, with 85% of them moving to neighboring countries.
In its recent report, IOM stated that the majority of Afghan citizens migrated to Iran, with 70% citing a lack of job opportunities in their home country as the primary reason.
According to the report, approximately one million Afghan citizens have migrated to European countries since 2020.
IOM highlights that many Afghans migrate through unofficial routes because of difficulties in obtaining passports and visas, often paying smugglers to cross informal borders.
“To finance their journey, most migrants have to borrow money or sell family possessions. It’s an emotional dilemma as they weigh the potential rewards against the significant risks and sacrifices,” the organization said.
“Throughout their journeys, Afghans who don’t have access to travel documentation face a higher risk of human rights violations in neighbouring and transit countries. These include the use of force, and other forms of cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment,” it added.
Every year, thousands of Afghans leave their homeland through legal or illegal means in search of a better life abroad. The majority who cannot secure legal pathways attempt to enter Europe via illegal routes, often passing through Iran and then Turkey.
The return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 has led to a significant increase in the number of Afghans fleeing the country. Many fear persecution and revenge from the Taliban, and have been forced to take unsafe and illegal routes to reach Europe or other countries.
Earlier, IOM reported that over the past decade, approximately 3,471 Afghan citizens have lost their lives on migration routes, with the majority (2,448) dying while fleeing to neighboring countries following the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
Meanwhile, the enforcement of anti-migrant policies and ongoing crackdowns on Afghan refugees in neighboring countries have resulted in the daily deportation of thousands of Afghan refugees back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
According to the IOM report, the number of returnees from Iran has remained consistently high, with nearly 1 million people returning to Afghanistan in 2023. Of these, 70% were undocumented, and 60% were forcibly returned.
Similarly, according to a recent UN report, over 639,000 Afghan refugees, mostly women and children, have been deported from Pakistan since the crackdown on undocumented individuals began last October.
IOM concludes its report by urging all countries to immediately cease the forced return of Afghan citizens until conditions are in place to ensure safe, dignified, and voluntary returns, regardless of their legal status.
