From October 2023 to the end of May 2025, more than 1.055 million Afghan citizens returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan, a figure confirmed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), which marks an unprecedented trend in recent years.
In 2025 alone, since the beginning of April, an average of around 3,500 people have been crossing daily from Pakistan into Afghanistan.
Faramarz Barzin, assistant communications officer for UNHCR, stated: “From October 1, 2023, to May 31, 2025, more than 1.055 million people have returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan. UNHCR is present both at the border and in the settlement areas and where we have cash centers, providing a wide range of services to them.”
As many of these families are forced to leave Pakistan after decades, they face new challenges such as lack of proper shelter, job opportunities, and insufficient health and educational services.
On another front, the World Food Programme (WFP) reported that from October 2023 to now, they have assisted more than 600,000 migrants who returned from Iran and Pakistan.
It is worth noting that the Pakistani government has announced plans this year to deport around three million Afghan migrants from across the country.