Islamabad: The latest report from the International Organization for Migration (IOM) highlights a significant increase in the number of Afghan nationals returning to Afghanistan between April and June 2024. The data, which captures activities at five border crossing points, shows that the combined figures of returnees and deportations have almost doubled compared to the first quarter of the year.

According to International Organization for Migration, the report titled “Pakistan – Flow Monitoring of Afghan Nationals Quarterly Report (April – June 2024)” details that a total of 102,353 Afghan nationals returned or were deported during the second quarter of the year. This marks a significant rise from the 54,227 recorded in the first three months of 2024. Of these, 99,731 were voluntary returnees, while 2,622 were deportations.

The report further breaks down the demographics of those returning, noting that 80% of the returnees were undocumented, 18% held Proof of Registration (PoR) cards, and 2% held Afghan Citizen Cards (ACC). It also highlighted that vulnerable populations, including the chronically ill, elderly, and disabled, constitute about 2% of the total returnees.

One of the key drivers for the migration remains the fear of arrest, with 89% of the returnees citing it as the primary reason for leaving Pakistan. The data collected provides a comprehensive overview of the migration trends and outlines the various vulnerabilities and demographics of the Afghan returnee population.

This report is part of IOM’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (DTM) program, which aims to provide critical data on migration flows and trends to help shape policies and responses in the region.