KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) reports that Iran and Pakistan have forcibly returned about 500,000 Afghans since early April.
In a post on X on Friday, the UN agency said the mass deportations come as Afghanistan faces a worsening humanitarian crisis and a sharp decline in international aid.
The agency called for urgent support, stressing that many returnees are struggling to rebuild their lives and face an uncertain future. It also said that all returns must be “safe, voluntary, and dignified.”
Iran and Pakistan, which have hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, have intensified deportations in recent months, forcing thousands to return each day to a country grappling with poverty and widespread human rights abuses under Taliban rule.
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), over 2.4 million Afghans have returned or been deported from Iran and Pakistan since September 2023. The World Health Organization estimates that another 1.6 million Afghans could be deported from Pakistan in 2025, most of them between April and September. Iran also plans to return more than two million Afghans this year.
Many Afghans fled their country after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, hoping to resettle in third countries. However, with most humanitarian visa programs suspended and limited international support available, thousands remain vulnerable to forced returns.
UN agencies, rights groups, and activists have repeatedly urged both governments to stop the deportations, citing the ongoing human rights and humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. They warn that women, former officials, journalists, and civil society members are vulnerable to retaliation, detention, or abuse by the Taliban.
