Afghan families cross the border from Iran into Afghanistan. Afghanistan: Millions of people are returning to a country that is not ready to accept them Refugees and migrants
The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has stated the need for urgent international support for Afghans returning from neighboring countries to their homeland in extremely difficult conditions. UNHCR representative in Afghanistan Arafat Jamal announced this at a briefing in Geneva on Friday.
According to the agency, since the beginning of 2026, almost 150 thousand Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan. This comes on top of an unprecedented 2.9 million arrivals in 2025. In total, some 5.4 million Afghans have returned – either voluntarily or involuntarily – since October 2023. UNHCR warns that the speed and scale of returns are further exacerbating the crisis in a country with an already dire humanitarian, economic and social situation, especially for women and girls. The World Bank estimates that rapid population growth in 2025 will reduce Afghanistan’s per capita GDP by four percent. The situation is complicated by a harsh winter: frost and snow threaten the lives of people, many of whom are homeless, jobless and undocumented. According to a UNHCR survey, only half of men and less than a quarter of women were able to find even informal work. More than 90 percent of families live on less than five dollars a day, and more than half have no identification. UNHCR expressed concern that five percent of those surveyed planned to leave the country again, and more than ten percent knew someone who had already left after returning. “These decisions are dictated by the impossibility of restoring a decent life,” Arafat Jamal emphasized during the briefing. At the same time, the agency notes “islands of hope”: among those returning in 2025, more people have education and work experience, which can contribute to stabilization in the presence of employment opportunities. In 2026, UNHCR will make supporting the reintegration of returnees a priority of its work in Afghanistan. The agency needs $216 million to help returnees and internally displaced people, but the plan is currently only eight percent funded.