UNAMA Reports Five Million Migrants Returned to Afghanistan in Last Two Years
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that approximately five million migrants have returned to Afghanistan over the past two years. According to the agency, this trend has primarily resulted from forced expulsions from neighboring countries and the imposition of stringent migration restrictions.
Based on information released by UNAMA on Tuesday (February 24), about 2.78 million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025 alone, including 1.88 million from Iran and 899,000 from Pakistan. These figures highlight the increasing pressure on border crossings and reception areas within Afghanistan.
UNAMA further reported that of the total returnees last year, 2.3 million were undocumented, while 484,000 entered the country with valid documents. Those without official papers face serious challenges accessing basic services, livelihood opportunities, and legal protection upon their return—a situation that places them in extreme vulnerability.
The UN agency stressed that affiliated organizations have scaled up coordinated efforts to provide emergency assistance, but the scope of the crisis far exceeds the available capacity and resources. According to UNAMA, severe funding shortages have rendered aid insufficient to meet the needs of all affected individuals.
The UN report also noted that women, girls, and children face heightened risks. Nearly one-third of the returnees are women and girls, while children under 17—especially orphans or those separated from their families—require urgent protective support, family tracing services, and psychosocial assistance.
With domestic service structures severely limited and the Taliban administration yet to present a comprehensive and transparent plan for the sustainable reintegration of returnees, concerns are mounting about rising poverty, internal displacement, and social vulnerabilities within this population.
