Iran and Pakistan have forcibly returned over 1.9 million Afghans to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan since January 2025, a staggering 1.5 million from Iran alone. The UN warns this has triggered a "multi-layered human rights crisis," with up to three million returnees expected by year’s end. Those sent back face a collapsing economy and famine-like conditions, with no reintegration support from Taliban authorities.
A UN report reveals Taliban forces routinely torture, arbitrarily detain, and threaten returnees based on their identities. Women, journalists, former government affiliates, and civil society members are particularly targeted despite the Taliban’s claimed amnesty. One former official described being beaten, waterboarded, and subjected to mock execution after deportation. Women face "gender apartheid," banned from education and public spaces.
While Pakistan hosted over 4 million Afghan refugees for decades, it now cites legitimate security concerns and economic strain for its repatriation campaign. Tehran and Islamabad emphasize that unregistered migrants strain resources, with Iran noting some were exploited by hostile actors like Israel for espionage. Still, UN experts condemn the speed and scale of returns, claiming violations of the non-refoulement principle.
Germany deported 81 convicted Afghan men last week, its largest expulsion since the Taliban takeover while the U.S. revoked temporary protection for thousands. Tajikistan followed Iran and Pakistan’s lead, expelling 377 Afghans. Russia remains the sole country recognizing the Taliban regime, even as UN High Commissioner Volker Türk demands an "immediate halt" to all forced returns.
Deported families arrive destitute. Taliban officials admit having "neither capacity nor will" to support them. With no functional aid system, returnees crowd makeshift camps near Herat, surviving on scarce local charity.