Introduction
Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives recent months, Pakistan has intensified its efforts to expel Afghan refugees, citing concerns over national security and illegal residency. This campaign has led to the forced return of hundreds of thousands of Afghans, many of whom now face dire conditions upon their arrival in Afghanistan. With limited resources, inadequate shelter, and ongoing humanitarian crises, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives these returnees find themselves in a precarious situation, struggling to rebuild their lives in a homeland that offers little support
Pakistan’s Expulsion Campaign
In March 2025, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives announced a renewed initiative to expel Afghan nationals residing illegally within its borders. The government accused Afghan refugees of involvement in narcotics trafficking and supporting terrorism, leading to a crackdown on undocumented individuals. By April 1, over 80,000 Afghans had returned to Afghanistan following the expiration of a voluntary return deadline. Since the beginning of the repatriation drive in October 2023, more than 900,000 Afghans have been repatriated from Pakistan
The Pakistani government emphasized its commitment to legal obligations as a host state but maintained that the repatriation drive primarily targets undocumented foreigners. Afghans holding U.N. refugee status were allowed to stay until June, while those applying for resettlement in third countries had to do so by April 30 unless granted individual extensions . For the more information click on this link
Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan
The mass return of Afghan refugees has exacerbated an already dire humanitarian situation in Afghanistan. A new assessment by Islamic Relief found that 90% of new arrivals were left homeless ahead of a freezing Afghan winter. Almost one-third of new arrivals (32%) were severely lacking food, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives and nearly two in three (62%) reported health problems like diarrhea and other gastrointestinal ailments .
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) reported that up to 200,000 people had arrived in Afghanistan from Pakistan since the beginning of October. Many of these returnees were sleeping in camps at the Torkham crossing area. The IRC deployed a mobile health team that reached over 1,700 people with emergency medical care, maternal healthcare, nutrition services, and mental health support. However, the needs in Torkham were immense, and with hundreds of families arriving each day, they continued to grow
Impact on Children
Children constitute a significant portion of the returnee population. A survey by Save the Children revealed that over the past seven months, nearly 250,000 children had returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan with almost nothing. These children urgently needed food, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives shelter, and access to education. Despite attending school in Pakistan, 65% of the children now back in Afghanistan were not enrolled in school due to a lack of necessary documents. The study also found that 99% of the families that returned and the communities hosting them did not have sufficient food to last one to two months .
International Response
The United Nations and partner aid agencies in Afghanistan have urgently called for funds to provide “post-arrival” assistance to hundreds of Afghan families returning from Pakistan daily to avoid arrest and deportation. More than 60% of arrivals are children, many of whom have traveled for days and are unclear about where to return to, leaving them stranded at the border .
Aid organizations, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives including the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), the Danish Refugee Council (DRC), and the IRC, have observed a dramatic surge in the number of people returning to Afghanistan from Pakistan. They have urged international donors to mobilize additional humanitarian funding to address the needs of these returnees and avoid a new crisis. The organizations also called upon neighboring countries to continue offering protection and refuge to all vulnerable Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives until conditions in their home country are conducive to a safe, sustainable, and voluntary return . For the more information click on this link
Conclusion
The forced return of Afghan refugees from Pakistan has led to a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan, with returnees facing homelessness, Afghan Refugees as Pakistan Drives food insecurity, and lack of access to basic services. Children, in particular, are bearing the brunt of this crisis, with many unable to access education or adequate nutrition. International aid organizations are working to provide emergency assistance, but the scale of the crisis requires a concerted global effort to address the immediate needs of returnees and to create conditions for a sustainable and voluntary return in the future. ALSO READ:- U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance in India: His Higher Education Story from Hillbilly Elegy Explains Trump Politics, MAGA 2025