Nearly 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the beginning of June, according to the United Nations’ migration agency, as Tehran enforces a July 6 deadline for undocumented migrants to leave the country. The development has triggered what the UN is calling an emergency at Afghanistan’s western border crossings.
From June 1 to July 5, a total of 449,218 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan from Iran, bringing the number of returnees for 2024 to 906,326, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) confirmed on Monday.
The surge in returns began after Iran’s government announced in late May that undocumented Afghans—potentially up to four million out of the estimated six million Afghans in Iran—must leave by early July. In the days leading up to the deadline, tens of thousands of Afghans streamed into the country, overwhelming border facilities.
At Islam Qala, a key border crossing in Herat province, over 43,000 people crossed in a single day on July 1, according to the UNHCR. More than 250,000 people returned in June alone, marking an unprecedented wave of displacement.
UNICEF’s Afghanistan representative, Tajudeen Oyewale, described the situation as a worsening crisis in a country already grappling with what he called a “chronic returnee emergency.” He noted a shift in demographics: 25% of returnees are now children, as more families—rather than single male migrants—are making the journey back with minimal possessions and little to no money.
Oyewale added that while Islam Qala is designed to process 7,000–10,000 people daily, recent numbers far exceed that capacity. The agency is urgently expanding water and sanitation systems, vaccination efforts, nutrition programs, and child-safe spaces to meet the growing need.
Many returnees reported being subjected to harassment, arrests, and forced deportation inside Iran. Aref Atayi, a 38-year-old Afghan man waiting at an IOM reception center with his family, said, “Even if I have to beg in my own country, it’s still better than staying in a place where we’re treated like this.”
The humanitarian response has been further strained by international funding cuts, prompting urgent calls for support from the UN, NGOs, and Taliban officials alike. The UN has warned that the continued influx could further destabilize Afghanistan, a country already burdened by rising poverty, joblessness, and climate shocks.
The agency has also urged countries not to forcibly return Afghans, cautioning that the deteriorating humanitarian situation leaves little room for safe or sustainable reintegration.
