International Rescue Committee Warns of 22,000 Afghan Refugees Facing Expulsion from Europe in 2025
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has issued a warning that the expulsion of Afghan refugees worldwide, particularly in Europe, is on the rise. Approximately 22,000 individuals have been ordered to leave European countries in 2025 alone. The IRC highlighted that these people are being returned to a country where 40% of the population currently faces severe hunger.
In a report released on Thursday, April 27, the IRC stated that displacement caused by climate change and conflicts continues, with the legal and humanitarian conditions of returnees remaining deeply concerning. According to the report, women and girls in Afghanistan face systematic barriers to education, employment, and even healthcare services—restrictions that have significantly increased since the Taliban took control.
The IRC added that in a troubling development, some Afghans are now being expelled from countries that had previously provided refuge during emergency evacuations from Afghanistan. The organization emphasized that returning these individuals under current conditions exposes them to greater insecurity and poverty.
According to the IRC, Afghanistan currently lacks the capacity to provide adequate security, food, healthcare, and basic living needs for returnees, and the rising influx of new arrivals is placing additional strain on already limited resources. Aid organizations have repeatedly warned that the humanitarian crisis in the country remains severe and calls for sustained international support.
The report also noted that in the past year alone, IRC teams have supported nearly 900 unaccompanied Afghan children seeking protection in Europe. Furthermore, according to the report, Afghans were the third largest group of asylum seekers in the European Union in 2025.
