The number of Afghans deported from Pakistan and Iran has reached another million this year, according to the UN Refugee Agency, as the two neighbouring countries intensify crackdowns on undocumented migrants — extending even to registered refugees. This brings the total of those forced to return to Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover to six million, in what aid groups describe as the biggest cross-border movement of people anywhere in the world.
The Torkham crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan — known as "Zero Point" — has become a bottleneck of human misery. Thousands of families arrive daily, many born abroad and arriving in a country they have never seen.
"It feels good to be in my own country," said 35-year-old Nazia, who crossed into Afghanistan from Pakistan where she was born. "But I've never been to Afghanistan before and many people here don't even have enough bread to eat." Nearly her entire family — eight sisters and their children — have been deported this year.
The expulsions follow years of rising Afghan migration since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021. While the crackdown began with undocumented migrants, UN and human rights groups say it now reaches Afghans holding official Proof of Registration cards. Pakistan has acknowledged publicly that these cardholders are not exempt.
Afghan returnees often arrive with little more than what they can carry. At Torkham, they head toward registration counters under white and black Taliban flags, uncertain how they will survive in a country already devastated by economic collapse and international isolation.
Iran has also accelerated deportations, contributing to the growing humanitarian crisis. Aid agencies warn that Afghanistan lacks the infrastructure or resources to absorb millions of returnees while the Taliban government remains unrecognised by most nations.
Analysis
Why This Matters
- The deportation of six million people — many of whom have never lived in Afghanistan — strains an economy already in freefall and deepens a humanitarian emergency
- Pakistan's decision to revoke protections for registered refugees signals a permanent shift in regional migration policy, with ripple effects across South Asia
- The pace of returns shows no sign of slowing, threatening further destabilisation in Afghanistan and potential secondary displacement
Background
For decades, millions of Afghans fled conflict and poverty to Pakistan and Iran, building lives as undocumented workers or registered refugees. The Taliban's takeover in August 2021 accelerated outward migration, but the pendulum has now swung sharply. Both host countries have grown weary of hosting large Afghan populations, citing security concerns and economic pressures. Pakistan began a large-scale deportation campaign in 2023, and Iran has followed suit. The UN had previously estimated total returnees at five million; the latest data pushes that figure to six million.
Key Perspectives
Deportees and returnees: Mostly born abroad in Pakistan or Iran, they arrive in Afghanistan with no homes, no jobs, and no social networks. Many cannot speak Dari or Pashto fluently and struggle to navigate Taliban-run registration systems.
Pakistan and Iran: Both governments frame deportations as necessary for national security and economic stability, arguing that undocumented migrants strain public services and infrastructure.
Human rights groups and the UN: They warn that the sweeps are indiscriminate, violating international law by forcing back registered refugees and failing to provide due process, and that Afghanistan under Taliban rule is not safe for return.
What to Watch
- The response from international donors — whether aid pledges will increase to cope with the influx
- Whether Pakistan extends or tightens its deportation timeline, potentially expelling even more registered refugees
- Internal stability inside Afghanistan as returnees compete for scarce food, housing and jobs in an already collapsed economy