United Nations pledges to assist Pakistan with safe Afghan refugee returns

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has stated that the UN is committed to working with Pakistan to ensure the return of Afghan refugees is conducted in a “voluntary, safe and dignified way.” Speaking in Islamabad alongside Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, Guterres emphasized the need to uphold protection principles during the repatriation process.

Since 2023, Pakistan has implemented an Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan, leading to the deportation of many undocumented immigrants and refugees. According to the UN Organization for International Migration, over 2.68 million Afghans returned from Pakistan between September 2023 and August 2026. The UN noted that many returnees face significant human rights violations and protection risks within Afghanistan.

Approximately 1.6 million Afghans, including 160,000 undocumented refugees, remain in Pakistan. Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov suggested that both Afghanistan and Pakistan are interested in normalizing relations despite recent tensions and the shared security challenge posed by Daesh.