More than 230,000 Afghans crossed from Iran back into Afghanistan during June, with a sharp spike in departures ahead of Tehran’s voluntary return deadline of July 6, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM) . The surge, driven largely by deportations, highlights the mounting pressure on both countries as they grapple with large refugee flows.
From June 1 to 28, exactly 233,941 Afghans returned home, and 131,912 of them came during the final week alone . For days in mid-June, more than 30,000 people were crossing daily, many reporting coercive or forced returns from Iran . In addition, AP News confirms Afghanistan experienced daily outflows of around 5,000 Afghans fleeing Iran—citing both deportation and the impact of Iran’s conflict with Israel .
It’s not only June. Since January, a total of 691,049 Afghans have returned—70% by force—as Iran intensifies actions to reclaim undocumented migrants. Meanwhile, the United Nations High Commissioner For Refugees (UNHCR) reports that over 1.2 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan this year, with more than half returning from Iran since a March deadline for voluntary departure .
Aid groups are sounding the alarm about the humanitarian consequences. IOM and UNHCR warn that the sudden influx could destabilize Afghanistan, which is already struggling under economic hardship, drought, and a collapsing public services system . World Vision noted many arrivals are exhausted, hungry, and traumatized, urgently needing shelter, sanitation, and medical care .
Many Afghan families spent years in Iran or Pakistan, some born abroad, and now have little to return to. Reports indicate Iranian authorities have escalated deportation efforts, detaining undocumented migrants and channeling them towards border crossings like Islam Qala near Herat. That checkpoint alone saw some 36,000 returns in a single day on June 26 .
The Taliban government in Kabul is urging for international help, warning that a lack of emergency funding and insufficient reintegration support may risk turning this migration into a serious destabilizing force. UNHCR reports that just 18% of its 2025 humanitarian plan for Afghanistan has been funded so far, severely limiting aid delivery capacity .
Pakistan continues its own deportation campaign, and Iran’s parallel crackdown compounds regional pressure. The combination is forcing migrants to choose between risky journeys, stateless limbo, and an uncertain future in a struggling homeland.
Even Afghan nationals with passports are being pushed out. Along with undocumented migrants, thousands with legal travel documents are returning daily to escape detentions and raids (kabulnow.com, apnews.com). Humanitarian groups emphasize that many returnees are highly vulnerable—without homes, livelihoods, or passports.
As Afghan migrants stream back in ever-growing numbers, questions loom large: Will Tehran extend its return deadline? Can humanitarian agencies secure funding to support reintegration? And how quickly can security and basic services be restored in Afghanistan’s border provinces?
Until then, “Afghans left Iran in June” stands as a stark reminder of a people on the move and a region slipping toward another humanitarian emergency.
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