Sharp increase of refugee returns pose risk to Afghanistan's fragile stability: UNHCR

By Xinhua Published: Jun 30, 2025 11:24 AM

Newly arrived Afghan refugees settle in a temporary camp in Kabul, Afghanistan, June 29, 2025. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Saturday raised the alarm over a surge in the number of Afghans returning from Iran under harsh conditions, cautioning that large-scale returns could exacerbate Afghanistan's already fragile situation. (Photo: Xinhua)

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) on Saturday raised the alarm over a surge in the number of Afghans returning from Iran under harsh conditions, cautioning that large-scale returns could exacerbate Afghanistan's already fragile situation.

According to UNHCR, over 640,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the implementation of a return deadline by the government on March 20, 2025.

"We need to act fast. We urgently call on the international community to help us respond, not just with emergency aid, but with longer-term support. Funding for sustainable reintegration is essential to prevent cycles of instability and displacement," said Arafat Jamal, UNHCR's representative in Afghanistan.

In total, over 1.2 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan so far in 2025, the report noted.

The agency continues to advocate with governments in the region that returning to Afghanistan must be voluntary, safe, and dignified. Forcing or putting pressure on Afghans to return is unsustainable and could destabilize the region and beyond, it said.

An estimated 7 million Afghan refugees, many undocumented, still reside abroad, primarily in neighboring Iran and Pakistan.