Nearly 97,000 Afghan refugees return home in one month via Pakistan, Iran
Synopsis
Nearly 100,000 Afghan refugees returned home in a single month — the visible edge of a much larger crisis. Pakistan's post-deadline enforcement drive is pushing over 10,000 people a day across the border, and with more than 8 million returns since 2021, Afghanistan's capacity to absorb and support its own people is being tested at an unprecedented scale.
Key Takeaways
97,277 individuals across 14,539 families returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran in the past month, as of 25 July .
Returnees entered through five crossings: Islam Qala , Torkham , Spin Boldak , Pul-e-Abresham , and Bahramcha .
Pakistan's enforcement drive, triggered after a 10 July voluntary departure deadline, has pushed daily returnee numbers above 10,000 at Landi Kotal .
More than 8 million Afghan refugees have returned since the current Afghan government took power in August 2021 , according to Afghan officials.
India's MEA handed over family tents to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation as part of ongoing humanitarian assistance.
A total of 14,539 Afghan refugee families, comprising 97,277 individuals, returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran over the past month, the deputy spokesman for the Afghan government announced on Saturday, 25 July. The scale of returns underscores mounting pressure on Afghan nationals abroad, particularly following a Pakistani enforcement drive targeting undocumented migrants.
Key Entry Points
According to Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Afghan government, the returnees entered Afghanistan through five border crossings: Islam Qala in western Herat province, Torkham in eastern Nangarhar province, Spin Boldak in southern Kandahar province, Pul-e-Abresham in western Nimroz province, and Bahramcha in southern Helmand province. Fitrat shared the details in a post on his X account. The majority of returnees came from Pakistan, he asserted.
Immediate Assistance for Returnees
All returning families reportedly received immediate relief upon crossing the border, including food, drinking water, healthcare services, and free transportation to their destinations, according to Fitrat. The Afghan government has framed the reception effort as part of a broader reintegration push.
Pakistan's Enforcement Drive
The surge in returns is closely linked to Pakistan's stepped-up measures to repatriate refugees and undocumented migrants. A formal enforcement drive began after the 10 July deadline for Afghans without valid visas to leave voluntarily expired. At the Hamza Baba transit point in Landi Kotal, daily returnee numbers reportedly exceeded 10,000 after Pakistan ordered all Afghan nationals to return, according to Pakistan's daily Dawn.
India's Humanitarian Role
Separately, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) last week announced the handover of family tents to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) to support shelter and rehabilitation needs. 'As part of India's continued humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan, India has handed over family tents to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) to support the shelter and rehabilitation needs of Afghan returnees,' the MEA stated in a post on X.
Broader Context
This latest wave is part of a significantly larger movement. According to Afghan officials, more than 8 million Afghan refugees have returned to the country since the current Afghan government assumed power in August 2021. The scale of displacement and return represents one of the world's largest ongoing refugee repatriation situations. With Pakistan intensifying its repatriation measures and Iran also pushing returnees across the border, pressure on Afghanistan's absorption capacity — and its humanitarian infrastructure — is expected to grow in the months ahead.
Point of View
000 returnees in a month — risks obscuring a harder question: whether Afghanistan can actually absorb them. With over 8 million returns since 2021, the country is receiving people at a scale its economy and infrastructure were not designed to handle, especially under an internationally isolated government. Pakistan's enforcement-first approach, triggered by the expiry of a visa deadline, is less a humanitarian policy than a pressure release valve. India's tent handover is a goodwill gesture, but shelter alone does not address livelihoods, food security, or long-term reintegration. The international community's attention to this crisis remains conspicuously thin relative to its scale.
NationPress
25 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Afghan refugees returned home in the past month?
According to the Afghan government's deputy spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, a total of 97,277 individuals across 14,539 families returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran in the past month. The announcement was made on 25 July.
Why are so many Afghan refugees returning from Pakistan?
Pakistan launched an enforcement drive after a 10 July deadline for Afghans without valid visas to leave voluntarily expired. Daily returnee numbers at the Hamza Baba transit point in Landi Kotal reportedly exceeded 10,000 following Pakistan's order for all Afghan nationals to return.
Which border crossings are Afghan returnees using?
Returnees have been entering Afghanistan through five crossings: Islam Qala in Herat, Torkham in Nangarhar, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, Pul-e-Abresham in Nimroz, and Bahramcha in Helmand province.
What assistance are returning Afghan families receiving?
According to Afghan government officials, all returning families have received immediate support including food, drinking water, healthcare services, and free transportation to their destinations inside Afghanistan.
What is India's role in supporting Afghan returnees?
India's Ministry of External Affairs announced last week that it had handed over family tents to the Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation to support shelter and rehabilitation needs of returnees, as part of India's continued humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.
