Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has issued a warning regarding the forced return of Afghan refugees and the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.

In a report published on Friday, the NRC stated that more than one million Afghans, most of whom have been forcibly returned from Pakistan, are facing widespread poverty and economic collapse.

“Since Pakistan first announced its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” in September 2023, more than one million Afghans have now returned—the majority of which were forced to—into a country already strained by economic collapse, widespread poverty, and protection challenges,” the report read.

The report further predicts that an estimated 600,000 additional returnees are anticipated in 2025. 

According to the organization, over one million Afghan migrants were also forced to return from Iran in 2024 alone.

The Norwegian Refugee Council emphasized that Afghanistan has experienced the largest internal displacement crisis in Asia and is now facing one of the largest population displacements.

The report stated: ” The lack of employment opportunities, in particular, severely impacts returning Afghans’ ability to take steps towards supporting their families and integrating into communities, especially for female-headed households.”

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate has stressed its commitment to addressing the problems of returnees and has called on both national and international donors and investors to assist in solving the issues faced by migrants.

Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Chief of the Army Staff, says the aim of the Islamic Emirate’s jihad was not for positions, ranks, or seats of power but rather for the liberation of Afghanistan from the grip of American occupation and its allies.

Speaking at a gathering in Kabul on Saturday, Fitrat emphasized that the Islamic Emirate will spare no effort in serving the people.

“At the beginning of the jihad, the goal was that our Islamic homeland, Afghanistan, had been occupied by the Americans and their allies. Our Afghanistan had to be free and independent—an Afghanistan where all the people are Muslims and want an Islamic system and government. There must be an Islamic system here,” said Fitrat.

“Positions, ranks, and power hold absolutely no importance for a Muslim,” he added.

Other IEA officials also said that their uprising against the US occupation was aimed at establishing and strengthening an Islamic system in the country.

They emphasized that Afghanistan is now under unified leadership, and the entire population stands in solidarity with the current system of governance.

“Today, from east to west and north to south, Afghanistan has one leader, one flag, one command, and one voice… This is a great blessing witnessed by the history of Afghanistan.”

Meanwhile, a number of tribal elders at the gathering also pledged their support for the Islamic Emirate.

This comes as Islamic Emirate officials, in their meetings with the public in the capital and provinces, consistently call for unity against the enemies of the Islamic system and urge citizens not to fall for the conspiracies of those opposed to the current regime.

Mohammad Bagheri, Chief of Staff of Iran’s Armed Forces, announced on Friday that 100 kilometers of wall construction along Iran’s border with Afghanistan in Razavi Khorasan Province have been completed.

During a visit to inspect the ongoing border fortification project, Bagheri told IRNA news agency that the wall will be equipped with advanced electronic and intelligent surveillance systems. He stressed that the project is crucial for maintaining long-term security, curbing the smuggling of narcotics, goods, and fuel, and preventing the unauthorized entry of migrants into Iran.

Despite continued diplomatic engagement and cooperation with Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021, Iran has repeatedly voiced concerns about the rise in undocumented migration and drug trafficking along its eastern border.

The full plan envisions the construction of a 300-kilometer barrier along the Iran-Afghanistan border in Razavi Khorasan, consisting of a four-meter-high wall.