UN: Over 2.3 Million Afghans Deported from Iran and Pakistan in 2025

In a statement marking World Migrant Day, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) announced that more than 2.3 million Afghan refugees were returned from Iran and Pakistan during 2025 alone.

The UN agency emphasized the need for sustainable solutions in the areas where these returnees are resettling. The European Union also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting returnees, internally displaced persons, and Afghan refugees.

The UNDP stated: “On World Migrants Day, discussions matter more than ever for Afghanistan. In 2025, 2.3M+ involuntary returnees arrived in communities already under strain. Durable solutions must start in areas of return.”

In a separate statement, the European Union said: “Together with UNHCR Afghanistan, IOMAfghanistan, and all our partners, we prioritize them across health, livelihoods, job creation, education & protection.”

Since the 1979 Soviet invasion, instability and insecurity have driven millions of Afghans to seek refuge abroad, especially in neighboring countries. According to international estimates released on June 30, 2025, there are currently between 3.5 to 3.8 million Afghans in Iran and around 1.6 to 1.8 million in Pakistan. Smaller Afghan populations also live in Tajikistan (approximately 13,600), Uzbekistan (about 8,000), and Turkmenistan (around 3,300), though these figures may have changed due to forced deportations.

Refugee rights advocates continue to highlight the challenges faced by Afghan refugees in several countries and urge the Islamic Emirate and international organizations to take action.

A refugee rights activist Ehsan Khan Ahmadzai said: “Afghan refugees in Pakistan and elsewhere are facing serious difficulties. The governments of Afghanistan and Pakistan, along with global organizations, should work together to ease their situation.”

Din Mohammad, a deportee from Pakistan, said: “We left everything behind, our businesses, our financial dealings, and just got ourselves out.”

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation stated that since the start of 2025, 1,821,001 Afghans have been deported from Pakistan, Iran, and Turkey.

Ministry spokesman Abdul Mutalib Haqqani said: “In this humanitarian crisis, especially during winter, while refugees are being forcibly returned, the international community must support the Islamic Emirate.”

The UN General Assembly designated December 18 as World Migrant Day in 2000 to raise awareness about refugee issues, promote human rights, and encourage countries to support humane, orderly, and fair management of refugee populations.