IOM warns most Afghan returnees struggle to find stability after return

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) says that for many Afghans returning from Iran and Pakistan, the first plan made at the border rarely becomes reality.

In its latest Returnee Resilience Overview for Afghanistan, the organisation found that nearly one in four returnees did not settle in the district they initially said they would return to.

“Findings show 24 per cent of returnee individuals… were not living in their intended return district at the time of interview,” the report says.  

IOM adds that return is often followed by more movement inside the country. Nearly one-third of respondents “had lived in more than one location since arriving back in Afghanistan,” with lack of economic opportunities and limited housing among the main drivers.  

Documentation is one of the biggest pressure points. Only about one-third of returnee households reported that all members had civil documentation, while most were partially documented.

IOM warns that missing papers directly block access to basic services and longer-term stability, noting that “missing tazkira, birth certificates, and marriage certificates… pose barriers to accessing education, healthcare, legal services, property claims, and mobility.”  

Livelihoods appeared even more fragile as IOM found that only 11% of adults were fully employed in the month before interviews, despite respondents having been back in Afghanistan for at least eight months.

The report also says 56% of households were not able to cover basic expenses, underlining heavy reliance on loans, donations and asset sales.  

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IOM’s survey covers undocumented returnees who received assistance at border points between 15 September 2023 and 31 December 2024, a period in which it estimates about 2.4 million people returned from Iran and Pakistan.  

AnewZ has contacted Afghanistan’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation for comment on the findings.

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Afghanistan International Organization for Migration United Nations Asia Humanitarian Crisis Refugees