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UNHCR: 6.3 million Afghans have returned since 2023, 60 percent reportedly forced to return
The UN and its humanitarian partners provide financial assistance to returning families at border crossings to help them meet their immediate needs, Jamal said.
Around 6.3 million Afghans have returned to the country since 2023, with approximately 60 percent reportedly forced to return, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has said, warning of growing humanitarian challenges.
Arafat Jamal, UNHCR’s representative in Kabul, shared the figures in an interview with German publication MiGAZIN, published on Wednesday, October 28. He said widespread poverty, unemployment and declining international assistance had further worsened conditions in Afghanistan.
According to Jamal, returnees account for approximately 15 percent of Afghanistan’s population, with most arriving from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan.
He described accommodating such a large number of returnees as a major challenge, noting that even countries with substantial resources would struggle to absorb such a population within a short period.
Jamal also raised concerns over poverty, malnutrition and human rights conditions in Afghanistan, particularly restrictions imposed on women and girls.
He said many Afghans return with few belongings, as some are forced to sell their possessions to cover travel expenses from Iran and Pakistan.
The UN and its humanitarian partners provide financial assistance to returning families at border crossings to help them meet their immediate needs, Jamal said.
However, he stressed that returnees require continued, long-term support, particularly access to permanent shelter, employment opportunities and civil identity documents.
The rising number of returnees comes as Afghanistan continues to face economic difficulties and declining international humanitarian funding, placing additional pressure on already vulnerable communities.
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US plans to deport Afghans back to their home country via Pakistan
The administration of US President Donald Trump is planning to deport Afghan migrants detained in the United States to Afghanistan through Pakistan, The Associated Press reported on Sunday citing court documents.
Court documents show that the US plans to begin deporting Afghans from Louisiana to Pakistan as early as Monday, with further transportation to Afghanistan.
Human Rights First said it had confirmed a flight scheduled to carry Afghan migrants from Louisiana to Pakistan on Tuesday. The advocacy group #AfghanEvac also condemned the plan, warning of its consequences for Afghan allies.
The plan has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers.
Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal said the United States was breaking its promise to Afghans who had supported American forces during the war.
Senator Tim Kaine said: “Our Afghan allies risked everything to help the United States. Now Trump plans to send their relatives back to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Repaying their sacrifice with betrayal is shameful and will make it much harder for America to secure assistance in future conflicts.”
Thousands of Afghans who assisted the US military or are relatives of American service members remain in uncertain circumstances after the Trump administration suspended its predecessor’s Afghan resettlement programme.
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Turkish Daesh suspect Uğur Bahadır arrived at Islamabad airport, trained in Balochistan: sources
Turkish national Uğur Bahadır, a suspected member of Daesh, arrived at Islamabad Airport from Turkey before travelling to Mastung in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where he reportedly received training at a Daesh camp, sources said.
The sources say Bahadır, son of Kazim, was arrested in Pakistan in March 2025, contradicting Turkish media reports that Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) recently captured him in an intelligence operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.
According to information obtained from the sources, Bahadır joined the sixth training group at a Daesh camp in Mastung, where he used the name Abdul Rehman. After completing his training, he remained at the Muawiya training centre while awaiting further instructions.
The sources said that following the destruction of Daesh camps in Mastung in late February 2025, Bahadır moved with other group members to Orakzai district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on the instructions of the group’s leadership. He subsequently adopted the alias Abdullah.
In Orakzai, Bahadır initially stayed with a local Daesh commander identified as Hamza. After Hamza was killed in the Toorsmat area on February 20, Bahadır reportedly joined a group led by Haji Rehman, also known as Abu Nasir.
When Haji Rehman was killed during an operation in the Ghalju area on February 28, Bahadır and another Daesh member, identified as Yunus, son of Muhammad, and known as Yasser, attempted to travel to Peshawar.
The two were subsequently arrested at a local police checkpoint, according to the sources.
They said police initially suspected the men of involvement in drug trafficking before identifying their alleged links to Daesh.
The sources further alleged that the arrests were later presented as the outcome of a coordinated intelligence operation. They claimed that similar cases involving foreign Daesh members had also been portrayed as organized security operations after the individuals were detained in areas under Pakistan’s control.
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Rubio signals US openness to playing role amid Pakistan-Afghanistan tensions
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Washington is ready to play a “productive role” in addressing Pakistan’s security concerns over alleged attacks originating from Afghan territory, although he did not elaborate on what such a role might involve.
Speaking at a press conference in Atlanta on Saturday, Rubio said Pakistan believes the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has not done enough to prevent such attacks.
“We obviously don’t want them to be targeted for terrorism. So, if there’s a productive role for us to play, we would play it,” Rubio said.
The top US diplomat added that Washington does not necessarily have close relations with the IEA.
“We’re against terrorism, no matter where it emanates from and who it targets,” he said.
In response to Rubio’s remarks, Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the information provided to US officials was one-sided and based solely on information supplied by Pakistan.
Mujahid said Afghanistan remains interested in mediation and attaches importance to efforts aimed at resolving tensions with Pakistan. However, he stressed that the facts surrounding the recent conflict must also be taken into account.
He blamed Pakistan for initiating the recent tensions and conflict, saying that problems within Pakistan had existed for years but were being attributed to Afghanistan.
Mujahid also reiterated that Afghanistan would never allow its territory to be used against any other country.
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