Thousands of Afghan refugees deported from Pakistan are returning home to face a harsh new reality — their homes, belongings, and years of investment have been left behind.
Adam Khan, a 40-year-old Afghan who was born and raised in Pakistan, was expelled along with 13 members of his family. Speaking from Afghanistan, he shared that their belongings worth around 300,000 Pakistani rupees were left behind. “This is the third night I’ve spent in Afghanistan. I was born in Pakistan and lived my whole life there. No one speaks for us — not UNHCR, not the international community,” he lamented.
Another deportee, Shireen, echoed the hardship: “We have nothing here. No home, no land, no idea how to start a new life. I ask the Islamic Emirate to help us — at least provide us with shelter.”
According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), from April 1 to May 4 this year, over 231,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have returned from Pakistan and Iran. Of these, only about 86,000 have received some form of humanitarian aid.
Despite visits from the foreign ministers of Pakistan and Iran to Kabul — where they pledged to discuss refugee issues — forced deportations continue at scale, leaving tens of thousands in limbo.