Afghans deported to Taliban-run home country struggle to start over

Afghans sent back to their home country often struggle profoundly to start over, a top official with the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has said, warning that women and former officials face particular risks under Taliban rule.

The UN agency says more than 2 million Afghans have been returned from neighbouring countries since the start of the year – and in many cases under duress.

"Some have never lived there," said Mihyung Park, head of IOM operations in Afghanistan, in a recent interview with dpa in Berlin about the hardships facing the returnees and the agencies trying to help them.

Others sold houses and land or went into debt to finance their escape from Afghanistan under the the hardline Islamist group and have no means to rebuild their lives once they are back, she said.

Park highlighted that women are systematically denied access to higher education and to most jobs. Those who once held senior government posts or worked as journalists or human rights advocates before the Taliban's return to power in August 2021 also fear persecution.

Park met in recent days with officials from Germany's Interior Ministry and the Foreign Office in Berlin.

She praised German and European Union support for United Nations efforts to assist returnees. At border reception centres, the UN provides basic supplies, including cash to cover onward travel to their home regions. Aid groups are also present at these crossings.

Donors impose strict conditions

Park warned that the loss of the United States as a key donor has hurt aid efforts. Others are diverting resources to defence amid geopolitical tensions, while countries such as Germany have imposed tight conditions on UN work in Afghanistan because they do not recognize the Taliban government.

For example, the de-facto authorities at border crossings have only a few outdated computers and printers to register returnees, leading to long waits for exhausted travelers. "The donors would not allow us to buy computers for them," Park noted.

UN agencies refuse to compromise on employing women, even though this repeatedly triggers disputes with the Taliban and requires female staff to be accompanied by a male relative.

Still, Park said two positive developments should not be overlooked: aid groups can now reach every province and overall security has greatly improved in recent years.

Mass returns from neighbouring countries

Since early 2023, most deportations of Afghans have come from Pakistan and Iran. Among them were dozens of Afghans accepted into German resettlement programmes who had been waiting in Pakistan.

Because Germany's embassy in Kabul has been closed since the Taliban takeover in 2021, these applicants are processed in Islamabad. More than 200 were taken into custody by Pakistani authorities in August and sent to the Afghan border, with further arrests reported.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul has pressed Islamabad to halt such deportations. A Foreign Office spokeswoman said on Friday that Germany and Pakistan had agreed to complete all resettlement procedures "in an orderly manner" by year's end.

Earlier this month, 47 Afghans with German entry approvals arrived in Germany via Istanbul on a commercial flight after successfully suing for visas.

Turkey's deportation of Afghans

Turkey also regularly operates charter flights carrying Afghan nationals back to their home country. Turkish authorities describe them leaving the country voluntarily, as they were detained without valid papers.

Non-governmental organizations such as the European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) say the situation in Turkey is complicated.

In a recent analysis, ECRE reported that Turkish authorities apprehended 65,815 Afghans as irregular migrants last year. By May 8 of this year, a further 16,268 Afghan citizens had been detained.

Many Afghans in Turkish cities work in the hope of earning enough to pay smugglers for onward passage to Europe. Observers say that the EU is therefore not unhappy that Turkey ensures several thousand Afghans are returned to Afghanistan each year.

IOM expects 3 million returnees this year

Park said Pakistan and Iran have already sent about 2 million people back to Afghanistan in 2025 and the total could reach 3 million by year's end, the IOM estimates.

The situation peaked in July when Iran's deadline for undocumented Afghans coincided with Israeli attacks on Iran. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people crossed the border daily - a circumstance that Park described as unmanagebale.

The current daily figure is below 10,000.

Few deportations from Germany — so far

Germany has so far deported only male Afghanistan convicted of crimes, and only sporadically. Since the Taliban regained power, two collective deportations have been organized with Qatar’s help.

Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt has said he wants deportations to Afghanistan to occur more regularly.

Afghanistan remains the main country of origin for asylum seekers in Germany. Although women and girls are systematically stripped of their rights, limited resources and the dangers of flight mean it is mostly young men who attempt the journey, often tasked with sending money home.

In the first half of 2025, Germany's Federal Office for Migration and Refugees ruled on 23,114 asylum applications from Afghan men and boys and 5,781 from Afghan women and girls. The government said female applicants were granted refugee status or asylum significantly more often than their male counterparts.