ISLAMABAD: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees revealed that over one million Afghan nationals, including refugees and asylum-seekers, have returned from Pakistan to their country this year, despite severe human rights violations and a humanitarian crisis in the Taliban-ruled country.
“In the right circumstances, this would be something to celebrate, but under the current conditions, it raises more concerns than solutions,” UNHCR Representative in Pakistan Philippa Candler said in a message.
She said the refugee agency had been scaling up its presence at border crossing points, where returnees, many of them women and children, were arriving cold, exhausted and in urgent need of support.
According to Ms Candler, the UNHCR, along with its partners, is providing immediate assistance, including temporary shelter, relief items and protection services. However, with winter intensifying and humanitarian resources severely strained, the gap between needs and available support is widening rapidly.
“Without sustained and expanded assistance, the sustainability of returns from both Iran and Pakistan remains in question. If returnees cannot reintegrate effectively, onward movement becomes inevitable.”
The UNHCR said in Afghanistan, nine in 10 people live in poverty, and the combined impact of economic crisis, unemployment and weakened public services was leaving families exposed.
It said over 2.2 million people had returned from Pakistan and Iran in 2025 with little to rebuild their lives, while recent earthquakes had deepened their hardship.
“With the governments’ support declining, we’re calling on individual and private donors to help raise at least 35 million to deliver life-saving assistance in Afghanistan and other hard-hit regions. These funds will help vulnerable families stay warm, safe and supported through the harsh months,” it said.
The UNHCR also stressed that significant protection needs for Afghans persisted inside Pakistan, especially for individuals at heightened risk due to their profiles, past affiliations or vulnerabilities.
It said many required legal assistance, documentation and community-based protection services to ensure their safety and dignity.
“We urge the government of Pakistan to ensure that Afghans with specific protection needs are exempted from the provisions of the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan and allowed to remain safely in the country. Doing so would uphold Pakistan’s long-standing tradition of hospitality and protection, which has safeguarded millions over decades,” it said.
