UN launches funding appeal as 110,000 more Afghan refugees return home

ISTANBUL

UN’s International Organization for Migration (IOM) on Tuesday launched a funding appeal for relief as nearly 110,000 Afghan refugees returned between April 3 and May 3.

The appeal aims to provide support near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and adjacent areas where severe conditions and funding gaps are increasing risks for the most vulnerable populations, the IOM said in a statement.

The IOM said that the appeal aims to support between 600,000 and 1.5 million Afghan returnees — mostly undocumented — who are affected by the second phase of Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan.

“Most of the people returning to Afghanistan are in a state of acute vulnerability, having been forced to leave behind their homes, possessions, and jobs,” IOM Deputy Director General for Operations Ugochi Daniels said, urging the international community to help.

According to the latest IOM data, an average of 3,000 people per day crossed back into Afghanistan through key border points in Nangarhar and Kandahar provinces in April, with women and children comprising the majority.

The IOM also highlighted the dire conditions of deportees from Iran, reporting that between January and April, over 265,000 undocumented Afghans returned — 75% of them through forced deportation.

The IOM and its partners renewed their call for all countries to immediately stop the forced return of Afghans until conditions allow for safe, dignified return and reintegration, regardless of individuals’ immigration status.

According to the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, nearly one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan over the past 18 months. Many of them face severe challenges upon arrival, including overcrowded temporary shelters and limited access to basic services.

• Afghanistan
• IOM
• Pakistan
• Refugees
• UN