The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has issued a pressing call for urgent international support to expand its response to the significant return movements happening in Afghanistan, marking one of the largest in the country’s recent history. Within the period since September 2023, over four million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan, with a notable 1.5 million returning just in 2025. An additional one million Afghans are projected to return from Pakistan after the government’s decision not to extend the stay of Afghan nationals.
Given the escalating needs at the borders and in the areas of return, IOM has made an appeal for additional funding to enhance its response capacity. The current systems are at risk of collapsing without immediate support, potentially endangering the lives of millions affected. Highlighting the critical situation, Mohammed Abdiker, IOM’s Chief of Staff, shared his firsthand experience of meeting exhausted families at the Iranian border, many with young children and nowhere to go, underscoring the urgency of the situation to avoid a crisis.
The returns from Pakistan saw a surge starting in April following the government’s ultimatum for undocumented Afghans to leave or face deportation, coinciding with a substantial influx of returnees from Iran. With Pakistan’s recent confirmation of not extending temporary stay permits, including for those with Proof of Registration cards, more arrivals are anticipated in Afghanistan in the near future. To manage this, IOM is running four reception centers at major border crossings and four transit centers, offering essential services like food, shelter, healthcare, cash aid, and psychosocial support, with a specific focus on vulnerable groups such as women and children.
While the immediate border situation is critical, the strain on the host communities receiving the returnees should not be overlooked, with many of these areas already lacking basic services and economic opportunities. Investing in these communities is crucial to ensuring successful reintegration of returnees and preventing further displacement, thereby breaking the cycle of vulnerability. The majority of Afghan returnees are undocumented, posing challenges in accessing identification, public services, and formal aid, making reintegration a complex task, especially as the winter approaches, heightening humanitarian needs significantly.
IOM stresses the importance of ensuring that returns are safe, voluntary, and dignified, highlighting the necessity of regional collaboration and immediate international assistance to prevent the situation from evolving into a broader humanitarian crisis. The ongoing impacts of droughts and climate shocks have further exacerbated the challenges faced by Afghanistan, emphasizing the need for sustained support and swift action to avert a deepening crisis. Immediate funding is crucial to enable IOM to scale up its response and prevent the situation from deteriorating further, safeguarding the well-being of the Afghan returnees and the communities hosting them.
Key Takeaways:
– IOM has called for urgent international support to address the significant return movements in Afghanistan, emphasizing the need for increased funding to scale up response efforts.
– The returns from Iran and Pakistan have created a critical situation, with millions of Afghan returnees facing risks due to collapsing systems without immediate assistance.
– Ensuring safe, voluntary, and dignified returns is vital, and regional cooperation and immediate international support are essential to prevent a broader humanitarian crisis from unfolding.
– Investing in communities hosting returnees is crucial for successful reintegration and to prevent further displacement, highlighting the importance of sustained support to break the cycle of vulnerability.
Tags: scale up
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