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Returnees from Pakistan and Iran gather at the border

Deported Afghans crossing back into their country through the Torkham border gate in Pakistan are carrying the burden of the lives they left behind, along with an uncertain future under Taliban rule. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 1 million people returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran this year. Many families arriving at border registration points are immediately faced with questions of shelter, food and survival.

A large share of those returning are people who left Afghanistan decades ago or were born in neighboring countries and have never even seen the country. In temporary tent sites near Torkham, families are only given shelter for a few nights. UNHCR says this is one of the largest cross-border population movements in recent years.

What do the numbers show?

  • According to UNHCR, 6 million people have returned to Afghanistan over the past nearly three years.
  • The number of people returning from Pakistan and Iran this year alone has risen to more than 1 million.
  • Pakistan has granted a temporary deportation exemption for 16,000 vulnerable Afghans on humanitarian grounds.

Return policies are also affecting registered Afghans

Pakistan and Iran argue that Afghans should return home, citing security concerns and economic burdens. But the UN and human rights groups say the measures are not limited to undocumented migrants, and that Afghans holding registration cards in Pakistan have not been exempted either.

The Pakistan government has rejected allegations of mistreatment of Afghans, saying any possible incidents were isolated and handled within the law. By contrast, Human Rights Watch said in February that house-to-house raids, nighttime searches and detentions without court orders had taken place. In Iran, mass returns reportedly accelerated after the 12-day war with Israel and the United States in June 2025.

Rights groups argue that, in the postwar climate, Afghan migrants are increasingly viewed with suspicion and accused of espionage. The UN, meanwhile, has reiterated that every return must be voluntary, safe and dignified, warning against coercive practices.

The humanitarian picture in Afghanistan makes return even harder

The situation awaiting returnees in Taliban-run Afghanistan is also severe. UN estimates show that 21.9 million people need assistance to survive this year, while UNICEF says 1 million children are at risk of life-threatening malnutrition.

Extra risks for women and former security personnel

Strict restrictions on education and public life for women and girls remain in place, and families returning from the border are especially worried about the future of their daughters. Former security personnel and some people who worked under the previous government say they do not trust the Taliban's announced amnesty and are living in hiding for fear of reprisals.

Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi acknowledged that the returns are creating pressure, but said they would benefit the country in the long run. UNHCR, however, says no country can manage a crisis of this scale alone and stresses that restrictions on women and girls are undermining international support.

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