Over 733,000 Afghans Return from Pakistan in the Past Year, Reports UN

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that since September 2023, over 733,000 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan.

According to the report, more than 100,000 returnees have received assistance, with one-quarter of these families being female-headed households. The UNHCR published this report on Sunday, detailing the scale of Afghan repatriation from Pakistan over the past year.

Of the 111,700 Afghan returnees from Pakistan who received aid, approximately 48 percent were women. The report further highlights that 2.5 percent of all aid recipients are individuals with disabilities.

The UNHCR noted that around 33 percent of returnees expressed intentions to return to five key provinces, namely Kabul, Nangarhar, Helmand, and Balkh. The agency also observed that the highest numbers of returnees were recorded in May and July 2023, with 38,000 Afghans returning from Pakistan each month during these peak periods.

The report also revealed that, since the beginning of the year, approximately 6,094 Afghans have been arrested or imprisoned in Pakistan.

The deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan, which commenced in October 2023, has drawn widespread international criticism. Despite this, Pakistan continues its deportation of Afghan refugees.