Islamabad: From January to September 2024, more than 22,000 Afghan refugees returned to their homeland from Pakistan, supported by the UN Refugee Agency’s voluntary repatriation program. This initiative has been instrumental in helping approximately 4.44 million Afghan refugees return since its inception in 2002.

According to The UN Refugee Agency, the program assisted over 5,200 households this year alone, offering a repatriation package of $375 per individual. The majority of returns were facilitated through the Azakhel and Baleli Voluntary Repatriation Centers (VRCs), which served 70% and 30% of the repatriates, respectively. The top destinations for returnees include Kabul, Nangarhar, and Kandahar, with socio-economic challenges and inflation cited as the primary reasons for leaving Pakistan.

The repatriation effort this year has seen a significant number of returns processed through both Azakhel and Baleli centers. The ethnic composition of the returnees was predominantly Pashtun, followed by Tajiks and Uzbeks. This ongoing repatriation marks a continued effort to support Afghan refugees in safely returning and reintegrating into their communities in Afghanistan.