Over 2.8M Afghan refugees returned home in 2025: Official

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - More than 2.8 million Afghan refugees have returned to Afghanistan from neighboring countries over the past year, an Afghan government official said on Sunday.

Deputy government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, speaking at a conference organized by the Ministry of Borders, Tribes and Tribal Affairs in Kabul, said the government is providing basic services and facilities to returnee families, according to state-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA).

“Around 2.8 million Afghans were forcibly returned from neighboring countries last year (2025),” Fitrat said.

He added that the government is providing basic services and temporary shelter to thousands of affected families, noting that assistance efforts for returnees are ongoing across the country.

Earlier on Friday, Fitrat said the government had also launched plots and land distribution programs, with more than 3,000 plots distributed among returnees in different parts of Afghanistan.

Last month, the UN’s International Organization for Migration agency said the return of Afghan refugees has created significant challenges for reintegration and long-term resilience.