Nearly 3 million* people have crossed into Afghanistan so far this year, the world’s biggest cross-border migration of people, increasing the country’s population by 6.5% in just nine months. The massive influx with between 10,000-15,000 people now arriving every day is placing massive strain on resources in one of the world’s poorest countries, which is overwhelmed by the recent deadly earthquake, unprecedented aid cuts, and a crippling drought.

The arrivals are Afghans who have been ordered to leave neighbouring countries and ‘return home’ although up to 80% of them were born outside Afghanistan or have lived outside for decades. Over 2 million of them have been ordered out of Iran, while almost 700,000 have crossed from Pakistan and a small number also from Tajikistan.

Islamic Relief aid workers supporting the new arrivals say most arrive poor, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food, healthcare and jobs.

The influx is happening when Afghanistan is facing a myriad of crises:

• This month deadly earthquakes in eastern Afghanistan wiped out entire villages, killed over 2,000 people, and left thousands homeless including some of the returnees.
• The economy has contracted by nearly a third since 2021 with unemployment climbing to 13.3% in 2024. Foreign aid, which the country depends on, has been slashed. USAID, previously by far the largest donor, has now fully halted all funding and other donors are failing to fill the gap. Three quarters of the way through the year, the UN-coordinated 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP) has just 28% of the funds it needs.
• A five year drought is affecting over 19 provinces. In early 2025, nearly five million people across Afghanistan were affected by climate disruption like drought and flooding and nearly 400,000 people were displaced.

Around 22.9 million people, about 55% of the population, need urgent assistance because of economic hardship, hunger, climate shocks and other factors. Almost 10 million people which is around a quarter of Afghanistan’s population face acute food insecurity.

Returnees face many challenges adjusting to arriving in Afghanistan, particularly younger refugees who were born in Iran or Pakistan. Many do not speak the same local languages and often lack resources and social networks. 99% of them are undocumented. Women and girls accounted for a third of returnees from Iran and about half of those coming from Pakistan.

Ziaullah, 51, an Afghan returnee at the Torkham border with Pakistan, told Islamic Relief:

“I’m originally from Kunduz province (in northern Afghanistan) and I’m travelling back there, but I don’t have a place to stay. I was at home [in Pakistan] when announcements were made in the mosques at night telling us to return to our own country. I had to quickly gather all I could. In very difficult conditions and at high cost I managed to find a truck to carry our possessions. Now I’m staying at the Torkham temporary camp (at the border crossing) and I’m confused, not knowing where to go next. 

“It has been very difficult. We are in a poor condition — we left most of our property behind in Pakistan. We have no proper shelter, not enough food, and no clear idea about our future. My family is tired and worried, especially the children and elderly. I don’t know about Afghanistan; I’m not sure if I will find work there. I don’t feel at peace. All my children were born in Pakistan, and now I don’t know if there will be opportunities for education and shelter here.”

Some families returning from Pakistan were killed or affected by this month’s devastating earthquake, and many are now homeless as Afghanistan’s bitterly cold winter approaches. Islamic Relief is providing them with tents.

A recent Islamic Relief needs assessment at the Islam Qalaa border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran found 100% of returnees needed food, 68%needed a tent for shelter, and 91% said they needed to consult a doctor.

Ibrahim Ahmed Alhomdi, head of programmes at Islamic Relief Afghanistan said:

“These people are poor and are returning to Afghanistan because they have to. They would not return by choice. Why would they? Afghanistan’s economy is suffering, poverty and hunger are rife, and it is suffering a climate crisis. The government’s resources can’t cope, especially after the massive earthquakes have struck.”

The response has been further reduced by national policies. The UN refugee agency, UNHCR, this month closed eight centres helping Afghan returnees because Afghan authorities were stopping its female staff from doing their jobs.

Islamic Relief is providing Afghan returnees with food, water and other services at the Torkham and Spin Boldar crossings from Pakistan and at the Islam Qalaa border crossing from Iran. It has so far distributed over 290,000 food and water kits.

Notes

*UNHCR this week reported 2.8 million people have crossed since January 2025 

In 2023 the Pakistan government ordered undocumented Afghans to leave the country and go back to Afghanistan under the ‘Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan’. The order was reiterated early this year with a deadline of the end of August given for them to leave. In conjunction the governments of Iran and Tajikistan have also ordered Afghan refugees in their countries to return to Afghanistan.