Afghan Returnees Face Soaring Rents and Housing Crisis

In recent weeks, Afghans forcibly repatriated from Iran and Pakistan have voiced growing concerns over a dire shortage of shelter, lack of access to clean drinking water, and a steep rise in rental prices. Many say they are unable to find suitable accommodation, and when they do, the costs are far beyond their financial reach.

Monawar Shah, who returned from Iran via the Islam Qala border crossing two weeks ago, is currently staying with relatives in Herat on a temporary basis. He describes the housing market in Herat city and its surrounding areas as increasingly unaffordable, despite weeks of searching.

“Our economic situation is so poor that I can't even earn 100 Afghanis in a full day of work. Most days, I come home empty-handed,” he says. “I spent 16 years in Iran and have no property in Herat. I’m now staying with my family of seven at a relative’s home. Rental properties are either unavailable or priced beyond our means. The lack of housing and our worsening financial condition have left me deeply concerned.”

Another returnee, Naveedullah, who also came back from Iran, has spent the past three weeks searching for a rental home with no success. He is currently living temporarily with relatives in Herat’s Shindand district. “I spent years in Iran. My children were born there. Here, finding a rental house is nearly impossible. A modest two-room home now costs up to 10,000 Afghanis. We are in an extremely difficult situation. If returnees were allocated residential plots or dedicated housing developments were built for us, it would ease our burden,” he explains.

Nabiullah, a returnee who came through the Torkham border crossing from Pakistan, says many Afghans were forced to abandon their businesses and assets in Pakistan and return home empty-handed. Now, they are struggling to meet even basic needs.

“We left behind everything—our businesses, our savings. We’ve returned to a country with few job opportunities and unaffordable rents. Many of us are living in tents because we simply cannot afford to rent a home,” he says.

Meanwhile, residents in Jalalabad city are also reporting a noticeable rise in rental costs, which they attribute to the large influx of returnees.

Hedayatullah, a Jalalabad resident, notes, “Before the return of refugees, rental prices were relatively low. But now, landlords have significantly increased their rates. A three- to four-room house that used to cost 5,000 Afghanis is now going for 10,000 to 12,000. It’s a form of exploitation.”

Real estate agents have confirmed the rising trend. Ghulam Qadir, the head of a property office in Kabul, says the return of a large number of refugees from Iran and Pakistan has intensified demand and driven prices up.

“Last year, a four-room home could be rented for around 5,000 Afghanis. This year, the same property costs between 11,000 and 15,000 Afghanis. Most of our clients now are returnees, and housing options are limited,” he says.

These developments come as UNICEF recently reported that an additional 600,000 Afghan refugees are expected to return from neighboring countries by the end of this calendar year. By the close of 2025, the total number of returnees could reach 1.6 million. Yet, the majority will return to conditions marked by limited access to food, shelter, and employment.