Highlights
1,671 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Pakistan between 25-31 December 2016, a 30% decrease from the previous week.
7,732 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Iran between 25-31 December 2016, an 11% decrease from the previous week.
In total, 248,189 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Pakistan and 443,968 spontaneously returned or were deported from Iran in 2016.
Returns from Pakistan
From 25-31 December 2016, a total of 1,671 undocumented Afghans spontaneously returned or were deported from Pakistan through Torkham border (Nangarhar province) and Spin Boldak border (Kandahar province), according to the Border Monitoring Team of the Directorate of Refugees and Repatriation (DoRR). This is a 30% total decrease from last week, with deportations decreasing by 9%. Of the total, 1,493 were spontaneous returnees in family groups and 178 were deported individuals. This brings the total number of undocumented Afghan returnees from Pakistan to 248,189 in 2016.
During the reporting period, IOM assisted 1,415 (84%) undocumented Afghan returnees from Pakistan, including 101 single parent families. The support provided includes meals and accommodation at IOM’s Transit Centers near the border, household supplies and other Non-Food Items (NFIs) for families, special assistance to Persons with Specific Needs (PSNs), a one-month food ration from WFP, family and hygiene kits from UNICEF and dignity kits from UNFPA.
A recent IOM survey of returning families (covering 242 households through 14 December) at Torkham border indicates that the majority (60% of households interviewed) have at least some level of debt, usually between 10,000-20,000 Pakistani Rupees (USD $96-191). This will create an additional challenge for families as they seek to reintegrate in Afghanistan. In addition, the survey highlights that most returnee heads of household (33%) plan to seek work as daily wage laborers, which may cause strains in already crowded local labor markets. For more information and analysis, visit IOM Afghanistan’s website to download the survey. Updates to the survey are published on a regular basis.
