The European Union has recently announced that it is allocating 20 million euros to assist returnees and displaced persons in Afghanistan through the International Organization for Migration (IOM).
In a statement, the EU indicated that this financial support comes at a time when Afghanistan continues to experience one of the largest and most complex humanitarian crises in the world, exacerbated by the high number of returns.
Veronika Boscovic Pohar, the head of the EU delegation in Afghanistan, stated, “The European Union remains committed to supporting the reintegration of returnees in Afghanistan and helping them transition from dependency to self-sufficiency.”
She emphasized that the EU’s collaboration with the IOM plays a central role in this effort, noting that since 2022, the EU has contributed over 140 million euros to address the displacement crisis in Afghanistan.
Moutia Maskoun, Deputy Head of the IOM Office in Afghanistan, remarked that the EU has been a long-standing partner of the organization in responding to displacement and the return of migrants to Afghanistan.
She added, “At a time when millions of Afghan citizens are returning to communities that are already struggling with limited resources and services, this assistance enables the IOM to expand vital support, strengthen livelihoods, support small businesses, and increase access to essential services through social resource centers, helping returnees and host communities build a more resilient future.”
The EU further noted that its assistance will provide integrated support for returnees, internally displaced persons, and host communities through protective services, health care, psychosocial support, livelihoods, and recovery in high-return areas and provinces.
Additionally, the EU delegation stated that this funding will support sustainable reintegration for returnees, particularly women and other vulnerable groups, by providing livelihood support, vocational training, and assistance to small and medium-sized enterprises.
According to IOM statistics, from September 2023 to May 2026, over 6.04 million migrants have been expelled from Iran and Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan.
The organization’s data indicates that in 2025 alone, 2.8 million migrants were expelled from Iran and Pakistan and entered Afghanistan.
