Alert Note: Critical Spike in Afghan Returnees: Mass Deportations and Iran Conflict Fuel Border Crisis

Rebuild Aid Foreningen has submitted an alert note due to the border crisis in Afghanistan.

Since 2023, Afghanistan has faced a worsening protection and displacement crisis due to mass deportations from Iran and Pakistan. In 2025, this crisis has sharply escalated. Iran intensified expulsions following rising tensions with Israel, while Pakistan accelerated the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan. Together, these actions have led to the return of over 650,000 Afghans in the first half of 2025 alone, adding to nearly 1 million returnees in 2023. Most returnees—many of whom had lived in Iran or Pakistan for decades—arrive without identity documents, legal status, or any form of shelter or access to basic services. The majority are undocumented and include extremely vulnerable groups: women-headed households, children, elderly, persons with disabilities, and those with serious medical needs. They face heightened risks of exploitation, arrest, and exclusion from humanitarian aid. Many are sleeping in the open or in makeshift shelters, with winter approaching. The impact is national, but western provinces—Herat, Nimroz, Farah, Badghis, and Ghor—are most severely affected due to their proximity to Iran. Herat in particular is under pressure as the primary entry point. Despite this, few actors are responding. UN agencies and INGOs (e.g. UNHCR, IOM, NRC, DACAAR) offer minimal support, mostly at transit points, without sustained reintegration, legal aid, or protection services. De facto authorities do not provide a coordinated response. This Alert proposes an emergency intervention in western Afghanistan targeting hard-to-reach returnees. Implemented by Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO), the project will provide legal aid, emergency shelter, food, WASH, and referral services to the most vulnerable. DERF funding would ensure rapid, targeted, and accountable delivery in underserved areas. SUAO has active field offices, trained staff, and coordination mechanisms in place and is ready to launch activities within days of fund disbursement. Without timely intervention, the protection crisis will deepen, leaving tens of thousands at risk. DERF support is urgently needed to prevent a further deterioration in an already fragile humanitarian situation.