Overview

• Since the July 6 deadline passed, border crossings such as Islam Qala have continued to register more than 20,000 Afghan returnees each day
• Reception centres built for 7,000–10,000 arrivals are now handling over 40,000 people daily, with only 10% of returnees receiving basic assistance
• UNICEF has declared an emergency over the surge in returns, noting that one in four returnees is a child in an already fragile country
• Severe funding gaps have left the IOM and partner agencies unable to assist most returnees, and emergency appeals are urgently seeking support
• Iranian officials maintain the expulsions serve national security, and rights groups report arbitrary arrests, espionage charges and torture of Afghans