Nangarhar, Afghanistan – The sun rises over the dusty Torkham border as thousands of Afghans return home after years or even decades in Pakistan. Many children are barefoot. Some are sleepy, while others look around nervously, holding onto their mothers. The elderly walk slowly, using sticks to keep their balance.
Trucks carrying returnees and their belongings await assistance at a reception centre in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Along the road lined with olive and orange trees, trucks packed with household items stand still. Families sit inside, staring into the distance, unsure of what life in Afghanistan will bring. Many have never been here before – or left so long ago that it now feels like a different world.
Zakira*, a 40-year-old mother of five who has lived in Pakistan for 18 years, is one of them. Her feet are sore, and she looks tired as she walks through the dust with her shawl wrapped around her. Still, she keeps going.
A family arrives at the border crossing in Torkham, Jalalabad. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
"My daughters were born in Pakistan. They had dreams – to study, to become teachers, doctors," Zakira says softly. "Now, I don't know what future waits for them here. But we have no choice. This is home."
Zakira, a returnee, looks out the window after receiving assistance at the IOM Transit Centre in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Zakira and many others had to leave Pakistan with little warning, carrying only what they could. Now they are returning to a country already facing one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world. Nearly 23 million people – about half of Afghanistan's population – need humanitarian aid in 2025.
What makes things even harder for women like Zakira is the restrictive laws introduced since 2021. Girls are no longer allowed to attend high school, and women must now have a male guardian to move around freely. As a result, many cannot work, travel, or even get basic health care. For households led by women, trying to rebuild their lives feels not only overwhelming but often nearly impossible.
Returnees from Pakistan cross the border at Torkham, Afghanistan, with trucks loaded with their belongings. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Zakira’s oldest daughter holds a small notepad she brought from Pakistan and asks, "Will I be able to join school here?" Like thousands of other children returning to Afghanistan, she is unsure if she will have the chance to continue her education.
A young girl, barefoot and holding her father’s hand, crosses the Torkham border into Afghanistan. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
"They gave us no time, no warning," says Shir Ahmad*, a 60-year-old who spent over five decades in Pakistan. "They loaded us into trucks and dropped us here. I have no land, no home, no idea how to start again."
A truck carrying returnees departs from the Zero Point at Torkham after receiving initial assistance, heading toward the reception centre for further support. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
For people like Zakira and Shir, the future remains unclear. Many Afghans are already struggling to meet their basic needs, and as international aid continues to decline, the difficulties are only getting worse.
A father and his two children sit by a fire to stay warm at the Torkham reception centre as temperatures drop. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Since the sharp increase in Afghan return movements began in September 2023 and through April 2025, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has supported over one million Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran, providing immediate relief and protection services especially for women and children. IOM is also prioritizing support for the communities receiving these returnees, which are under growing pressure and already facing limited resources. However, without additional funding, IOM and its partners will not be able to keep up with the rising needs.
An IOM staff member assesses the needs of returnees at the Torkham border crossing between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
"I worry for my daughters," says Zakira, holding her youngest close. "Will they be allowed to learn? To dream? We need help to build a life again, not just survive."
An IOM mental health and psychosocial support counselor holds a session with a returnee at the IOM Transit Centre in Nangarhar, Afghanistan. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Returnees from Pakistan wait for help at the Zero Point of the Torkham border crossing in Nangarhar after a long journey home. Photo: IOM/Mohammad Osman Azizi
Despite the odds, Afghan women continue to show incredible strength and resilience as they work to rebuild their lives with dignity and hope. “This is our home,” says Zakira in a calm but strong voice. “No matter how hard life gets, we will not give up. Our children deserve a future too.”
IOM and its partners reiterate their call for all countries to immediately halt the forced returns of Afghans until conditions are in place to ensure safe, dignified, and voluntary returns, regardless of a person’s legal status.
IOM’s post-arrival assistance to returning Afghan migrants is made possible through funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations; the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund; the Government of Japan; the Republic of Korea; the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration; the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation; and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.
*Names have been changed to protect identities.
This story was written by Mohammad Osman Azizi and edited by Avand Azeez Agha. For more information, please contact: mohamazizi@iom.int
