Pakistan and Iran expel 6 million Afghan refugees
Pakistan and Iran have forced more than 6 million Afghans back across the border since 2021, creating the world's largest displacement crisis.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
The United Nations is calling it the largest movement of people across borders in the world. Over the last three years, Pakistan and Iran have expelled more than 6 million people, sending them back to Afghanistan. These are people who left Afghanistan in search of refuge or work following the Taliban takeover in 2021. Most are now being forced to return amid a crackdown on undocumented migrants.
At the main border crossing at Torkham, the scale of the forced return is visible. Entire Afghan families, wrenched from lives built over generations in Pakistan, are entering a country many have never seen. Some hold fast to friends from a life torn away. The UN and other agencies have set up a tented village, described as the largest in the world, but most returnees have nowhere else to go.
One family of eight brothers, most born in Pakistan, now live with wives, sisters and children in extreme heat. "It's even hard just to breathe here. It's 41 degrees. We have no money and no resources to start a business or earn a living," one brother said. He also expressed deep worry about the girls in his family, fearing they will not be able to continue their education beyond primary level.
Steep cuts in aid are intensifying the pain. A humanitarian official said, "I don't think providing humanitarian money for humanitarian response punishes the Taliban. This is what punishes the people." The official also noted that Taliban restrictions, particularly on women and girls, make it harder to elicit international support.
The Taliban Foreign Minister acknowledged the need for help, saying, "It's true that such a huge influx of refugees needs more help because they have a new life here." But he pushed back on the idea that international recognition is required, arguing that countries which engaged with the Taliban have benefited economically and politically.
Some returnees face particular danger. A man who once patrolled streets for the ousted government has been deported twice and is waiting on a promise of asylum. "I feel that my life is under threat. I can't even go outside," he said. Asked if he trusts the Taliban's amnesty, he replied, "I have no trust in it because many of my friends were killed."
As night falls, families unload their belongings from Pakistani trucks into Afghan ones. It is the hardest kind of homecoming, one tough life tipped into another.
On screen
Stills are sampled automatically at 60-second intervals. Where shown, the still is the nearest available frame from the relevant broadcast segment and is included to show what was on screen during that part of the broadcast. A still may not correspond to the exact second of a quoted phrase.
Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | BBC One |
|---|---|
| More than 6 million Afghans have been pushed back into Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran over the past three years. | |
| Pakistan and Iran justify the expulsions of Afghans by calling some a security risk and others a burden. | |
| Steep cuts in aid are worsening the situation for Afghan returnees. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
BBC ONE West focused on the human cost of the expulsions, with vivid on-the-ground reporting from Torkham. The report highlighted the struggles of returnee families, the impact of aid cuts, and the Taliban's response, while also giving voice to those who fear for their safety. The tone was empathetic and critical of the policy, but balanced with official statements.
- “The faces of a forced return. Entire Afghan families expelled. Wrenched from lives made over generations in Pakistan on the other side of this border.”
- “It's even hard just to breathe here. It's 41 degrees. We have no money and no resources to start a business or earn a living.”
- “I have no trust in it because many of my friends were killed.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.