Human Rights | Afghan outlets cite a UNHCR report saying 43% of 1.29 million returnees in 2026 were deported; the report has not yet been independently verified

ACW | November 8, 2026 — Nearly 1.29 million Afghans returned from Iran and Pakistan in the first nine months of 2026, the U.N. refugee agency UNHCR said on Sunday, according to Afghan outlets Etilaatroz, Hasht-e Subh and Pajhwok.

The figures come from a UNHCR report on how it used flexible funding between January and September 2026, the outlets said. Etilaatroz said the report was posted on UNHCR Afghanistan's X account.

About 43% of the returnees were forcibly deported, Etilaatroz quoted UNHCR as saying. The rest went back because of worsening living conditions and restrictions in their host countries, the agency said.

More than 202,000 refugees and returnees received cash assistance in border areas, according to all three outlets. Women headed 45% of the families that received aid, and 33% included at least one person with a disability, Etilaatroz reported.

UNHCR said it also gave cash to about 340 vulnerable families to rebuild their livelihoods, about 2,300 people facing serious protection risks and about 2,600 families to buy essential household items.

The agency needs $216.4 million for the Afghanistan situation but has received $30 million in flexible funding, Pajhwok reported. No Taliban response appeared in the published reports.

ACW has not yet seen the original report, and the story has not been independently verified.

Background: Pressure to deport Afghans is not limited to neighboring countries. ACW earlier reported that France confirmed technical talks with the Taliban on deporting Afghans.

Why it matters: Nearly half of the families that received aid at the border are headed by women, according to UNHCR. The United Nations has described Taliban restrictions on Afghan women as severe and sweeping.

ACW will continue to follow this story.

Sources: Etilaatroz — UN: 1.29 million migrants returned from Iran and Pakistan in nine months; Hasht-e Subh — Nearly 1.29 million migrants returned; Pajhwok — Nearly 1.29m Afghans return from Iran, Pakistan in 9 months

Photo: UNHCR/Oxygen Empire Media Production (file)