Afghanistan: 2026 Response Plan for Afghan Returnees (RPAR) From Pakistan and Iran (Border response and (re-)integration response in areas of return)

Countries: Afghanistan, Iran (Islamic Republic of), Pakistan Source: UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan Executive Summary The large-scale return of Afghan nationals from neighbouring countries, which escalated dramatically in end 2023, remains a defining humanitarian and development challenge for Afghanistan. An estimated 5.8 million Afghans have returned since September 2023 increasing the country’s population by a staggering 10-12% due to returns. In 2025 alone, the country absorbed 2.9 million returnees, the majority arriving under duress from Pakistan and Iran amid tightening deportation policies and a shrinking protection space. In 2026, over 500,000 have already returned in the first quarter with a further 2,696,500 individuals projected to return between April-December with following breakdown: Host Country Estimated Returns Documented Undocumented Iran 1,596,500 10,000 1,586,500 Pakistan 1,100,000 576,373 523,627 Total 2,696,500 586,373 2,110,127 The returns phenomenon is occurring against a backdrop of deep economic fragility, widespread food insecurity, systemic gender-based restrictions, and recurrent climate shocks. Many of those returning—particularly women and children—have weak ties to their supposed areas of origin, creating a profound (re-)integration crisis in communities already stretched to their limit. The 2026 Response Plan for Afghan Returnees (RPAR) sets forth a strategic, multi-sectoral framework to manage this continued crisis. It is built on a two-track architecture: an immediate humanitarian border response to provide life-saving assistance at entry points delivered by the Border Consortium partners, and a comprehensive (re-)integration response in priority Areas of Return (AoR) delivered by the Durable Solution partners. Based on historical patterns, over half of the returnees estimated to ret...

Original source: Relief Web