Over 1.6 Million Afghan Refugees Return Home in 2024, Straining Border Provinces

In 2024 and 2025, over 1.6 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries, primarily Iran and Pakistan, exceeding earlier forecasts and placing significant strain on border provinces unprepared for such influxes. Many of the returnees, often women and children, face a difficult adjustment as they return to a country they barely know, where their rights—especially those of women and girls—are severely restricted under Taliban rule. The return has been both voluntary and forced, with Iran recently urging undocumented Afghan nationals to leave and imposing blacklists to prevent re-entry for illegal residents. Afghan authorities have called on Iran to exercise restraint in expulsions and expressed gratitude for decades of hosting refugees. Border crossings like Islam Qala have seen daily arrivals surge to tens of thousands, with many returnees arriving exhausted and disoriented, requiring urgent humanitarian aid. The situation exacerbates poverty, insecurity, and humanitarian needs in Afghanistan, which continues to grapple with economic collapse and widespread human rights abuses.