As the bitter cold of winter sweeps across Afghanistan, thousands of Afghan refugees are streaming back into their homeland from neighboring Pakistan and Iran—often with little more than the clothes on their backs and the hope for a better future. Yet what they find upon arrival is a country battered by poverty, natural disasters, and a humanitarian system stretched to its limits.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan alone in 2025, a staggering figure that underscores the scale of the migration crisis. In a statement released late November, Philippa Candler, UNHCR Representative in Pakistan, acknowledged the complexity of the situation: “In the right circumstances, this would be something to celebrate,” she said, as reported by The Express Tribune. “But under the current conditions, it raises more concerns than solutions.”
These concerns are not unfounded. As winter tightens its grip, returnees—many of them women and children—are arriving cold, exhausted, and desperately in need of support. UNHCR and its partners have ramped up their presence at key border crossings such as Torkham in Nangarhar, Spin Boldak in Kandahar, Pul-i-Abresham in Nimroz, Bahramcha in Helmand, and Islam Qala in Herat, providing immediate assistance like temporary shelter, relief items, and critical protection services. Despite these efforts, the gap between urgent needs and available resources is widening at an alarming pace.
The scale of forced returns is daunting. On just one day—Saturday, November 29, 2025—over 6,000 Afghan refugees were forcibly repatriated from Pakistan and Iran, according to Taliban Deputy Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, who cited the High Commission for Addressing Migrants’ Issues in his report shared on X (formerly Twitter). Pajhwok Afghan News detailed that 1,188 families, comprising 6,553 individuals, crossed into Afghanistan that day, while nearly 1,332 refugees had been returned the previous day.
Once inside Afghanistan, the challenges mount. Many returnees are sent to their respective provinces—1,260 families, or 8,102 people, on November 29 alone—where they are left to fend for themselves in a landscape marked by economic collapse and fragile infrastructure. While 780 families received humanitarian assistance, the aid provided often falls short of what is needed to survive the winter months. Telecommunication companies have stepped in to distribute 1,294 SIM cards to deportees, a small gesture in the face of overwhelming need.
For many, the most immediate concern is simply finding shelter. “Our main problem is that we have no shelter. When we return to the country, we don’t know where to go. We ask the Islamic Emirate to address our situation,” pleaded Abdul Baqi, one of the recent returnees, in comments reported by Tolo News. Others echoed his concerns. Abdul Bari, another returnee, described the grim reality: “Everyone knows most people are homeless, spending their days in the streets and along the roads.” Abdul Malik highlighted the bureaucratic hurdles, noting that returnees are required to apply for electronic ID cards (tazkira) upon arrival in their provinces, further complicating their resettlement. Abdul Qahar urged the Taliban government to provide basic necessities like tents and shelter.
The hardship is not limited to the lack of shelter. Afghanistan’s economic crisis has left nine in ten people living in poverty, according to UNHCR figures. The returnees—more than 2.2 million from Pakistan and Iran in 2025—are arriving in a country where opportunities for rebuilding their lives are scarce. Unemployment is rampant, public services are weakened, and recent earthquakes have only deepened the misery for many families.
Humanitarian organizations are sounding the alarm. As winter intensifies, the ability of aid agencies to meet the needs of so many vulnerable people is being severely tested. UNHCR has called on donors—both governmental and private—to help raise at least $35 million to deliver life-saving assistance in Afghanistan and other hard-hit regions during the harsh winter months of 2025-2026. The agency warns that without sustained and expanded support, the sustainability of returns from both Iran and Pakistan is in serious jeopardy. If returnees cannot reintegrate effectively, onward movement—either within Afghanistan or across borders—becomes all but inevitable.
The situation is further complicated by policy decisions in neighboring countries. The Government of Pakistan has implemented the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP), under which thousands of Afghans have been forcibly returned. UNHCR has urged Pakistani authorities to exempt Afghans with specific protection needs from the plan, highlighting the risks faced by vulnerable groups.
Meanwhile, the Taliban government faces mounting pressure from returnees and international agencies alike to address the growing humanitarian crisis. While some assistance is being provided—such as SIM cards and limited humanitarian aid—the scale of the need far outstrips current resources. The task ahead is daunting: ensuring that hundreds of thousands of people have shelter, food, and basic services as temperatures plunge and the threat of further displacement looms.
For the families arriving at Afghanistan’s borders, the journey home is just the beginning of a new struggle. Many have spent years—or even decades—in exile, only to return to a country changed by conflict, disaster, and economic decline. Their stories are marked by resilience, but also by frustration and uncertainty. As Abdul Baqi and others have made clear, the challenges of reintegration are immense, and the road ahead is fraught with hardship.
The international community’s response in the coming weeks and months will be critical. With the humanitarian system already under strain, the ability to mobilize additional resources and deliver targeted assistance could mean the difference between survival and further suffering for Afghanistan’s returnees. As winter deepens, the world’s attention turns once again to a country in crisis—and to the fate of those who have nowhere else to go.
The current wave of returns has laid bare the fragility of Afghanistan’s recovery and the urgent need for coordinated action. Whether the country can absorb so many returnees—and whether those forced to return can find safety and dignity—remains a pressing question as 2025 draws to a close.