Return to Afghanistan: re-migration and the failed reintegration of millions of Afghans
Photographer: Oriane Zerah
Forced returns to Afghanistan continue, despite UNHCR’s non-return advisory. In 2023, over a million Afghans were forcibly returned from Pakistan and Iran. Various governments justify a trend of increasing returns to Afghanistan by arguing that active war has subsided since August 2021, when the U.S. withdrew. Yet repatriation to Afghanistan was problematic even before the Taliban retook power.
The United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 shifted the country from Taliban rule to an era of war and occupation during which foreign governments, including the U.S., its allies, and international governing bodies such as the United Nations, ostensibly focused on reconstruction and nation-building. From the onset, the return of Afghan nationals – who had fled for protection abroad – became an integral part of the U.S.-led state-building project. But what awaited those who returned was not an easy homecoming: many returnees experienced social stigma, marginalization, and a range of multi-dimensional challenges, from economic to mental health challenges. Many became internally displaced people (IDPs) within Afghanistan.
This report's authors call for the Afghan government and international governing bodies and donors to support Afghans’ freedom of movement, for their mobility across borders must be seen as one solution for Afghans’ need for safety and security.
Due to the lingering costs of U.S.-led war in Afghanistan over 20 years, the authors also call for the international community to support Afghans' basic needs, including access to housing, land, healthcare, water, education, livelihoods, documentation, and justice.