COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2023

This profile refers to Afghans who were born in or have spent a very long period as a refugee or a migrant in Iran or Pakistan.

COI summary

Over 8 million Afghans have returned to the country since 2002, mainly from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan. During 2021, according to IOM, 896 788 Afghans moved to Iran and 258 166 went to Pakistan. IOM noted that 2021 was a record year for forced returns, with close to 800 000 Afghans being forcibly returned from neighbouring Iran and Pakistan. Between 1 December 2021 and 30 April 2022, IOM documented an average monthly outflow of approximately 424 000 individuals from Afghanistan to Pakistan and Iran. In the same period the average monthly inflow to Afghanistan from the same countries was approximately 357 000 individuals. In May 2022, the flows were lower, with around 255 000 individuals leaving for Pakistan or Iran, and 292 000 returning from these countries [Security 2022, 3.3.2 b, p. 77; Targeting 2022, 1.5.2, p. 53].

As of January 2022, there were approximately 3 million Afghans living in Pakistan, around 1.4 million of them are Proof of Registration (PoR) cardholders, approximately 840 000 hold an Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), and an estimated 775 000 are undocumented. While PoR and ACC cardholders are offered limited protection, mainly from refoulement, undocumented Afghans are exposed to arrest, detention and deportation. As a result, many new arriving Afghans had to rely on informal networks and try to keep a low profile for fear of being stopped by Pakistani authorities [Pakistan – Situation of Afghan refugees 2022, 1.2.2, p. 22].

Returnees from Iran were reported to be comprised mostly of young men, whereas returnees from Pakistan were mostly families. Many of them settled in Kabul regardless of their place of origin in Afghanistan and established themselves according to their capacity without any government support. A third of all Afghan returnees have settled in Kabul and Nangarhar. This fact, combined with high numbers of IDPs, had resulted in high pressure on housing, employment, healthcare, and community services, especially in the cities. In the context of Afghanistan’s limited absorption capacity returnees often lived in precarious situations [KSEI 2020, 1.2, pp. 14-15; 2.2.3, pp. 31-33; 2.3.4, pp. 38-39; 2.4.2, pp. 40-41; 2.5.2, p. 45; 2.6.5, pp. 57-58; 2.7.4, 64-65; Society-based targeting, 8.7, pp. 101-103].

Not being accustomed to Afghan norms and expectations and having no support network in Afghanistan may add to the difficulties in finding job or shelter. Afghans who lived outside Afghanistan for a long period of time may also have a strong accent, which would be a further obstacle in finding a job. Moreover, Afghans who grew up in Iran and are perceived as ‘Iranised’ or ‘not Afghan enough’ may sometimes receive offensive comments [Society-based targeting, 8.7, pp. 101-103].

There were no reports in the available recent COI concerning the treatment of Afghans who lived in Iran or Pakistan by the Taliban.

Risk analysis

In general, the treatment faced by individuals under this profile would not amount to persecution.

Nexus to a reason for persecution

Available information indicates that in the case of individuals who were born in Iran or Pakistan and/or who lived there for a long period of time, there is in general no nexus to a Convention reason for persecution. This is without prejudice to individual cases where nexus could be established based on additional circumstances.