Afghan refugees face forced deportations as crisis unfolds

In recent weeks, Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran have been forcibly deported, escalating an already dire humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Many of these refugees had lived in their host countries for years, yet are now being returned to a nation that is grappling with severe poverty and instability. Reports indicate that up to 71,000 deportations occurred in just the first half of June 2025, with about 5,000 families arriving daily at the Torkham border crossing. The situation is particularly challenging for children, who struggle to comprehend why they are being uprooted from their homes. Human rights advocates and aid organizations have expressed deep concern about the implications of these deportations. Sherine Ibrahim, country director for the International Rescue Committee, noted that these events occur in a context where Afghanistan is experiencing a humanitarian crisis, with 23 million people in need of assistance. The international community's response has been inadequate, as foreign donors have only committed about 20% of the funds required for basic services in the country. Compounding the challenges facing returnees are the societal restrictions imposed by the Taliban, which particularly affect women and children. Women deported to Afghanistan face significant barriers to employment, exacerbating economic difficulties for families that often have no male providers due to war or displacement. As a result, there are fears that many families will resort to child labor as a means of survival. Humanitarian workers anticipate a surge in child labor as these families attempt to navigate the hardships of returning to an unstable Afghanistan. The international community remains seemingly unprepared to mitigate the fallout from these mass deportations. Aid groups warn that the ongoing crisis will be compounded by the influx of returnees unable to access necessary support systems. In short, the forced deportations of Afghan refugees put both their immediate welfare and Afghanistan's broader recovery efforts at risk, highlighting the urgent need for coordinated humanitarian responses and policy changes to address the needs of displaced populations.