Kabul [Afghanistan], August 6 (ANI): The mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and Pakistan is raising alarm over the dire need for employment and humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, Tolo News reported. Many of those expelled say they had worked for years in sectors like agriculture, construction, and technical trades—jobs they are now hoping to find back home.
Abdul Rahim, a deportee who worked in agriculture in Iran for four years, said he could support his six-member family if similar opportunities were available in Afghanistan. “We have now returned to our own country. We used to work in agriculture there. If an opportunity arises here in the agricultural sector, I would be happy because I have skills in this field,” he said.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), more than 2.1 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan between January and August 1, 2025. The figures include 1.4 million deportations from Iran and over 303,000 from Pakistan since April alone.
The UNHCR noted that despite the high protection and basic needs of these returnees, Afghanistan’s humanitarian response remains critically underfunded, receiving only 24 percent of the $478 million required for 2025.
One deportee shared his frustration, saying, “If the work we did in Iran was available in our own country, we would never go to Iran. The Iranian government and people mistreated us. We rented houses there, and they would not pay us our wages.” Another, Abdul Jabbar, added, “We have become old men, and there is no more work for us. Job opportunities should be created for the youth so they don’t become migrants.”
In response to the growing crisis, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has launched a system to register the skills of returning migrants. Samiullah Ebrahimi, spokesperson for the ministry, stated, “A system has been created to register their skills. So far, more than 110,000 migrants have been registered in this system who have experience and expertise in fields such as education. This list is shared with government and private institutions to provide employment opportunities according to their qualifications.”
Despite these efforts, deported migrants continue to face harsh living conditions, with many reporting severe shortages of shelter, food, jobs, and healthcare. As returnees struggle to reintegrate, humanitarian organizations and Afghan authorities are urging the international community for increased funding and support.
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