Afghanistan Returnees Overview 1 - 31 Jan 2026

Afghanistan continues to grapple with the enduring consequences of the massive returnee influx, as the initial shock of mass displacement gave way to the protracted challenges of (re)integration and survival. With over 5.5 million returnees since September 2023, now navigating harsh winter conditions, the focus and investment must remain on sustaining basic needs within communities of return. While modest gains have been observed in access to civil documentation and community engagement—particularly through feedback mechanisms and participatory assessments—protection risks persist. Reports of child labour, psychosocial distress, and barriers to housing, land, and property rights remained widespread. In response, Durable Solutions/BHN actors intensified efforts to support (re)integration, including livelihoods programmes, cash-for-work initiatives, and the rehabilitation of community infrastructure. Meanwhile, an estimated 2–3 million Afghans remain in Pakistan and approximately 4.5 million in Iran, with both countries signaling sustained pressure for returns in 2026. Pakistan continues implementing its "Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan" (IFRP), recently announcing the repatriation of nearly 20,000 Afghans awaiting US resettlement, while maintaining daily returns of around 2,500 individuals. Iran, facing a 60% cut in international refugee funding and bearing an estimated $10 billion annual hosting cost, has accelerated deportations of undocumented Afghans, claiming a 30% crime reduction in Tehran as a result. With over 1,000 Afghans returning daily from Iran and reports of heightened enforcement, including executions of Afghan nationals in drug-related cases, the path to sustainable reintegration remains fraught with structural and resource constraints.