Overview

• Iran’s order for undocumented Afghans to leave by July 6 drove 449,218 returns from June 1 to July 5, according to the International Organization for Migration.
• Reception sites at crossings such as Islam Qala are operating beyond capacity, with daily arrivals exceeding 40,000 and water, sanitation and shelter services stretched thin.
• UNHCR and UNICEF have declared an emergency at Afghan border points and warn that foreign aid cuts mean only about 10 percent of returnees receive basic assistance.
• Human rights experts report that hundreds of Afghans have been detained on espionage charges and that even those with valid visas have faced forced expulsion.
• Aid organisations are calling for immediate international funding to avert further destabilisation as returnees endure extreme heat, food shortages and scant support under Taliban rule.