KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that over 1.2 million undocumented Afghan migrants returned from Iran to Afghanistan in 2024, with 67% of these returns being forced deportations.
On Thursday, the IOM highlighted that with donor support, including significant contributions from the European Union (EU), humanitarian assistance has reached more than 324,000 returnees.
Mihyung Park, head of the IOM in Afghanistan, said the EU’s support “allows us to assist hundreds of thousands of returnees and vulnerable communities in Afghanistan, fostering reintegration, social cohesion, and longer-term solutions.”
The situation for returning Afghans remains dire, as they are faced with economic hardship, humanitarian crises, and inadequate health infrastructure under the Taliban rule. According to the United Nations, nearly 24 million Afghans—most of them women and children—are dependent on humanitarian aid this year.
This week, a delegation comprising representatives from the IOM, the EU, and the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) visited reception and transit centers for returnees in Herat to assess ongoing efforts to address their needs.
Iranian authorities have announced plans to deport two million undocumented Afghan migrants by the end of this year, while similar expulsions from Pakistan are also underway.
Following the Taliban’s return to power, migration surged, with Iran and Pakistan becoming the primary destinations for Afghan refugees seeking safety from persecution, repression, and economic instability.
For decades, Iran and Pakistan have hosted millions of Afghan refugees. However, stricter anti-migrant policies and intensified crackdowns on undocumented Afghans in both countries have led to the forced deportation of over a million people, including women and children, back to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.
Currently, Iran and Pakistan collectively host approximately 7.7 million Afghan refugees—4.5 million in Iran and 3.2 million in Pakistan—according to UN estimates.
Observers warn that the ongoing deportations could exacerbate the country’s already severe humanitarian crisis, leaving many returnees at risk of exploitation and destitution.