UN: Education Ban and Unemployment Drive New Afghan Migration Wave
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that approximately 1.2 million Afghans have left their country between January 1 and May 31, 2025, primarily due to the ongoing restrictions on girls’ education, widespread unemployment, and lack of safety.
According to the report, around 722,000 Afghans migrated to Pakistan, and another 450,000 to Iran—either through legal or irregular routes. In comparison, during the same period in 2024, only 900,000 Afghans were reported to have left the country, with 500,000 going to Pakistan and 395,000 to Iran.
The report emphasizes that the main drivers of this wave of displacement are the Taliban’s restrictions on girls' education, rising joblessness, and the absence of prospects for a safe and dignified life in Afghanistan.
UNHCR has also expressed serious concern over the growing number of internally displaced persons inside Afghanistan, calling on the international community to work toward sustainable and long-term solutions to address the root causes of displacement.
This report comes as Pakistan has intensified its forced deportation campaign against Afghan refugees in recent months, and Iran has also announced plans to expel nearly two million undocumented Afghans by the end of 2025.
