KATHMANDU: Afghanistan’s population has increased by 12 percent over the past two years, driven largely by the return of millions of Afghan migrants from neighboring countries, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).
UNHCR reports that nearly 4.8 million Afghan migrants returned to their homeland from Iran and Pakistan between December 2023 and December 2025, leading to a significant demographic shift in the country.
Speaking to Afghan news channel TOLO News, UNHCR Representative Arafat Jamal said that 2.7 million people returned to Afghanistan in 2025 alone. On average, around 10,000 people are returning to the country every day. He added that during last summer, as many as 70,000 people crossed into Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border in a single day.
Jamal criticized Pakistan and Iran for forcibly deporting Afghan migrants and noted that the United Nations has urged both countries to provide assistance and cooperate in managing the return process in a humane manner.
