KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced a contribution of 10 million kroner (approximately 1 million USD) to support Afghan returnees through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
In a statement today on X, the ministry expressed concern over the growing wave of refugee returns from neighboring countries and the rising humanitarian needs inside Afghanistan.
Afghan migrants continue to be deported en masse from both Iran and Pakistan. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported today that more than 230,000 Afghan nationals were returned from Iran in June alone, most through forced deportation.
Since September 2023, over 2.43 million undocumented Afghan refugees have returned from Iran and Pakistan, according to IOM data.
The Taliban government stated that just yesterday, 2,793 families crossed back into Afghanistan from Iran via the Islam Qala border in Herat and the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimroz.
Deportations from both Iran and Pakistan have intensified in recent months, forcing thousands to return to a country already grappling with a deepening humanitarian crisis and widespread human rights concerns. Many of these individuals had originally fled Afghanistan due to economic instability and fear of persecution.
Despite repeated calls from the United Nations and international human rights organizations to halt the expulsions, both countries have continued their crackdown on Afghan refugees.
The surge in returns comes amid Afghanistan’s worsening economic conditions, exacerbated by dwindling foreign aid and limited domestic resources to support the influx of returnees.
