The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees has warned that the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan is destabilizing the region and beyond.
In a statement, the agency noted that returns to Afghanistan must be voluntary, safe, and dignified. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees emphasized that over 1.2 million Afghan citizens have been compelled to return to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan in 2025, exacerbating the existing humanitarian crisis within Afghanistan.
The organization added that more than 366,000 Afghan citizens have returned from Iran this year.
The UN High Commissioner for Refugees has raised concerns about the significant increase in the return of Afghan citizens under difficult conditions from Iran to Afghanistan.
According to UN estimates, more than half of Afghanistan’s population depends on humanitarian assistance to meet their basic needs.
The statement mentioned that the UN High Commissioner for Refugees is committed to providing immediate and long-term support to returnees in collaboration with its international partners.
The statement quoted Arefat Jamal, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees representative in Afghanistan, as saying that thousands of Afghan citizens are returning to their country under unfavorable conditions.
Arefat Jamal called for “immediate and substantial funding to ensure sustainable reintegration and prevent cyclical displacement both within the country and across borders,” emphasizing that only 23% of the required funding has been secured so far.
According to UN data, in the past week, Iran has deported over 88,000 Afghan migrants from the country.
