Afghan returnee crisis deepens after deadly shooting in Balochistan and fresh UN warning

Two Afghan women were killed and three others seriously injured when Pakistani security forces reportedly opened fire on a vehicle carrying Afghan migrants in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.

According to local sources, the bodies of the victims and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, while several other Afghan nationals were detained following the incident.

Details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear.

The violence comes amid mounting concern over the growing returnee crisis.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that mass returns are worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

In a newly released report, UNAMA said nearly five million Afghans — roughly 10 percent of the country’s population — have returned over the past two years, largely driven by forced deportations and stricter migration policies in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.

The report states that in 2025 alone, approximately 2.78 million Afghans returned home, including 1.88 million from Iran and 899,000 from Pakistan. Nearly one-third of the returnees are women and girls.

At the height of the influx, daily arrivals from Iran reached between 30,000 and 40,000 people, placing severe strain on border registration systems, transport networks, and basic services.

UNAMA stressed the urgent need for expanded shelter, food assistance, livelihood opportunities, and long-term reintegration programs. It warned that without sustained international support, returnees — particularly women, girls, and children, including unaccompanied minors — could face heightened vulnerability and increased risk of social instability.