 | Parts of this article (those related to2021 evacuation from Afghanistan) need to beupdated. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(August 2021) |
Afghan refugees are citizens ofAfghanistan who were forced to flee from their country as a result the continuous wars that the country has suffered since the Afghan-Soviet war, the Afghan civil war, the Afghanistan war (2001–2021) or either political or religious persecution. As of 2023, there were 3.2 million internally displaced Afghans,[1] and 6.4 million Afghan refugees living in other countries which is one of largest refugee populations in the world.[1][2]
The 1978Saur Revolution, followed by the 1979Soviet invasion, marked the first major wave of internal displacement andinternational migration to neighboringIran andPakistan; smaller numbers also went toIndia[3] or to countries of theformer Soviet Union. Nearly 90% of the world’s 6.1 million Afghan refugees reside in neighboring Iran and Pakistan, with Iran hosting the largest share as of 2024.[4][5] Between 1979 and 1992, more than 20% of Afghanistan's population fled the country as refugees.[6] Following the Soviet withdrawal in 1989, many returned to Afghanistan,[7] however many Afghans were again forced to flee during thecivil war in the 90s. A total of 6.3 million Afghan refugees were living in Pakistan and Iran in 1990.[8]
There were over 6 million Afghan refugees by 2000.[9] Most refugees returned to Afghanistan following the 2001United States invasion and overthrow of theTaliban regime.[10][11][12] Between 2002 and 2012, 5.7 million refugees returned to Afghanistan, increasing the country's population by 25%.[13][14] Between 2012 and 2019, 2.4 million Afghans fled the country as refugees.[15] At the time of Taliban's return to power in 2021, 2.6 million Afghans remained refugees.[16]
Some countries that were part of theInternational Security Assistance Force (ISAF) established special programs to allow thousands of Afghans toresettle in theWestern world.[17][18][19][20][21] Asstatelessrefugees orasylum seekers, they are protected by the well-establishednon-refoulement principle and theU.N. Convention Against Torture. They receive the maximum government benefits and protections in countries such asAustralia,Canada,Germany, theUnited Kingdom, and theUnited States.[22][23] For example, those that receivegreen cards under8 U.S.C. § 1159 can immediately become "non-citizen nationals of the United States" pursuant to8 U.S.C. § 1452(b), without needing to meet the requirements of8 U.S.C. § 1427(a).[24] This allows them to travel with distinctUnited States passports.[25] Australia provides a similar benefit to admitted refugees. Following theIran-Israel War, Iran began the2025 Afghan deportation from Iran which according to sources will add up to 4 million Afghans.[26]
According to theInternational Organization for Migration (IOM), there are over five million internally displaced people in Afghanistan as of late 2021.[12] Military actions and violence by the warring factions usually play a major part in the displacement, although there are also reasons of major natural disasters.[27] TheSoviet invasion caused approximately 2 million Afghans to be internally displaced, mostly from rural areas into urban areas.[27] TheAfghan Civil War (1992–1996) caused a new wave of internal displacement, with many citizens moving to northern areas in order to avoid the Talibantotalitarianism.[27] Afghanistan has long suffered from insecurity and conflict, which has led to an increase in internal displacement.[28][29]
External influence over the past 50 years by both the Soviet Union and later the United States, along with actions of the currently ruling Taliban regime, have led to continued trends of displacement.
The American invasion of Afghanistan (as well as the 20 years of occupation by the United States military) has contributed to the displacement of Afghan nationals. While many justifications were given for the invasion of Afghanistan (from revenge for the 11 September terrorist attacks, to democratization & the liberation of Afghan women), the war has led to both internal and external displacement of the Afghan population. According to the Revolutionary Association of the Women of Afghanistan (an organization which played a large role in showcasing the excess & violence of the Taliban), the American bombing of Afghanistan was not seen locally as "salvation," but instead caused fear that the American military would confuse civilians with members of the Taliban.[30]
On the other hand, following the 2001 invasion and otherthrow of the Taliban, millions of Afghan refugees returned to the country. By 2012, 5.7 million had returned, increasing the population of Afghanistan by 25%.[13]
Native people of Afghanistan and their children lawfully reside in at least 96 countries around the world.[31][32] About three in fourAfghans have gone through internal and/or external displacement in their life.[27] Unlike in certain other countries, all admitted refugees and those granted asylum in the United States are statutorily eligible forpermanent residency (green card) and thenU.S. nationality orU.S. citizenship.[24] All of their children automatically becomeAmericans if they fulfill all of the requirements of8 U.S.C. § 1408(4),8 U.S.C. § 1431(a) or8 U.S.C. § 1433(a).[33] This extends their privileges, and gives all of them additional international protection against any unlawful threat or harm.[34]
Approximately 1,438,432 registered Afghan refugees andasylum seekers temporarily reside in Pakistan under the care and protection of theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[35][36][31][37][38][39] Of these, 58.1% reside and work inKhyber Pakhtunkhwa, 22.8% inBalochistan, 11.7% inPunjab, 4.6% inSindh, 2.4% in the capitalIslamabad and 0.3% inAzad Kashmir.[10][38] Most were born and raised in Pakistan in the last four decades but are consideredcitizens of Afghanistan.[40][10] They are free to return to Afghanistan under a voluntaryrepatriation program or move to any other country of the world and be firmlyresettled there. The largest ever Afghan refugee camp was established in theSwabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the north-west of the country.[41]
Since 2002, around 4.4 million Afghan citizens have been repatriated through the UNHCR from Pakistan to Afghanistan.[10][42] Some members of theTaliban and their family have long been residing among the Afghan refugees in Pakistan.[43][44][45][46][47] Others such as theSpecial Immigrant Visa (SIV) applicants and their family members, who are awaiting to be firmly settled in theUnited States,[17][18][20][21] are also residing in Pakistan. Regarding the Taliban,Prime Minister of Pakistan stated the following:
What the Taliban are doing or are not doing has nothing to do with us. We are neither responsible, nor the spokesperson for the Taliban.[48]
— Imran Khan, July 2021
On 3 October 2023, Pakistan's Interior MinisterSarfraz Bugti ordered that all undocumented immigrants, particularly the nearly 1.73 million Afghan nationals, voluntarily leave the country by 1 November 2023 or facedeportation in a crackdown.[49][50] Taliban authorities condemned the deportations of Afghans as an "inhuman act."[51]
As of 2 April 2025, Pakistan plans to initiate arrests and deportations of Afghans living in Pakistan illegally and Afghans holding Afghan Citizen Cards on 10 April 2025. Afghans with Proof of Registration can stay in Pakistan until 30 June 2025.[52]
As of October 2020, there are 780,000 registered Afghan refugees and asylum seekers temporarily residing in Iran under the care and protection of the UNHCR.[31][37][53][54] The majority of them were born in Iran during the last four decades but are still consideredcitizens of Afghanistan. According to Iranian officials, 2 million citizens of Afghanistan who have no legal documents and over half a millionIranian visa holders also reside in various parts of the country.[53][54] Iran has long been used by Afghans to reachTurkey and thenEurope where they apply forpolitical asylum.[55][56][57] As in Pakistan, the Afghan refugees are not firmly settled but reside there on a temporary basis.
Iran's initial response towards Afghan refugees, driven byreligious solidarity, was an open door policy where Afghans in Iran had freedom of movement to travel or work in any city in addition to subsidies forpropane,gasoline, certain food items and even health coverage.[58][59] In the early 2000s, Iran's Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) initiated registration of all foreigners, including refugees. It began issuing temporary residence cards to certain Afghans.[60] In 2000, the Iranian government also initiated a joint repatriation program with the UNHCR.[60] Laws were passed in order to encourage the repatriation of Afghan refugees, such as limits on employment, areas of residence, and access to services including education.[60] In 2021, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) found that just over one million Afghans have been sent back.[61] In 2023, Iran along with Pakistan decided to deport more refugees.[62][63] In May 2025, the Iranian government ordered the mass deportation of an estimated 4 million Afghan migrants and refugees.[64]
India hosts approximately 49,059[65] Afghan refugees within its borders.[37][66][67] The majority of them reside in the nation's capitalDelhi, specifically in the neighborhoods ofLajpat Nagar,Bhogal andMalviya Nagar.[66] Some of them operate "shops, restaurants and pharmacies."[66] Afghan refugees were admitted to India during and after theSoviet–Afghan War (1979–1989).[68] A lot of the once-vibrantSikhs in Afghanistan andAfghan Hindus have become refugees in India following the wars.[69] Also much ofAfghanistan's Christian community thrives within India.[70] In 2021, following the end of the latestwar in Afghanistan, India has offered an emergency visa (the 'e-Emergency X-Misc Visa') to some citizens of Afghanistan.[71][72][68]
Afghan refugees in India have sought asylum primarily due to political instability and conflict in Afghanistan. India hosts thousands of Afghan refugees, many of whom are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).[73] While India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, it has provided long-term visas and access to education and healthcare for Afghan refugees. The Indian government has also pledged material support for the rehabilitation of returning Afghan refugees.[74] However, challenges remain, including legal uncertainty, lack of official refugee status, and limited access to employment opportunities.[75] Despite these hurdles, Afghan refugees continue to integrate into Indian society, particularly in cities like Delhi, where a significant number reside.
When the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Canadian Government announced it would resettle 40,000 vulnerable Afghans such as women and girls, members of Afghanistan's LGBTQ community, human rights workers and journalists.[76] This was in addition to an earlier initiative to resettle thousands of Afghans who had worked for the Canadian Government, such as interpreters and embassy employees, as well as their families.[77] By March 2022,Canada resettled 8,580 Afghan refugees.[76] By August 2022, the first anniversary of the fall of Kabul, that number had risen to 17,375.[78]Ahmed Hussen, Minister of International Development, on 27 September 2023 announced that Canada initiated an aid of providing $14 million in development funding for 2 projects in support of health and essential services for Afghan refugees and host communities in Pakistan impacted by last year's flooding. Of this $14 million, $10 million is being allocated to theUnited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees for essential services and recovery efforts, such as the rehabilitation of schools and health facilities, the provision of livelihood training and services associated with gender-based violence. The remaining $4 million will go to the World Health Organization for health services, including sexual, reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health care and for gender-based violence services.[79]
On 17 August, after the fall of Kabul, Ugandan Government announced that based on United States' request, they will be temporarily hosting 2000 Afghan refugees. The refugees were expected to be brought in batches of 500 to Entebbe whereUNHCR has secured Imperial Hotels for their arrival and screening.[80] The number of refugees currently residing in Uganda is unclear, but according to reports, Ugandan officials had confirmed the arrival of 145 refugees on Sunday, 22 August 2021.[81] Another 51 Afghans were received at the Entebbe International Airport by the Government of the Republic of Uganda on 25 August 2021.[82]
Over the past 40 years, the number of Afghan immigrants living in the United States has risen from roughly 4,000 to nearly 195,000. The majority of this population increase has occurred between two periods: 2010-2019 and from 2021 forward. Between the 10 year periods in the 2010s, the Afghan population rose from 54,000 in 2010 to roughly 132,000 in 2019. Additionally, that population jumped again in 2021 in the midst of the American military withdrawal from Afghanistan, when it surged by an additional 76,000.[83]
On 7 August 2021, due to the threat from theTaliban, the U.S. Embassy Kabul announced to all American citizens living in Afghanistan to begin evacuating themselves from the country and that all employees of the embassy leave immediately if "their function could be performed from elsewhere."[84]
Although, the Department of State, on 27 April 2021, had ordered American troops to withdraw from Afghanistan by 11 September,[85] it was not until early August 2021 that the security situation of Kabul deteriorated drastically. This was a time when Taliban militia were taking over Afghanistan one city and/or province at a time.[86] On 12 August, the U.S. Embassy Kabul issued a security alert directing all US citizen to leave Afghanistan immediately using commercial flights if they can, and if they could not afford it, they could contact the embassy to get information regarding repatriation loan.[87]
On 18 August 2021, the Embassy issued another alert to US citizen and LPRs (lawful permanent residents) with their spouse and unmarried children to travel to the Hamid Karzai International Airport and enter the airport at Camp Sullivan.[88] When news of this reached the ears of the many Afghan citizens trying to escape the rule of Taliban, they rushed toHKIA.[89]
In 2021 Afghanistan started its largest humanitarian evacuations in history, involving more than 80,000 people.[90]
And thus began, the second phase ofOperation Allies Refuge from 15 to 31 August 2021. On 21 and 25 August, the U.S. Embassy once again issued security alerts advising US citizen to avoid travelling to the airport and to evacuate the Abbey Gate, East Gate and North Gate immediately.[91]
On 26 August 2021,CNN reported two explosions at the HKIA that killed 13 US Marines and approximately 60 Afghans outside the airport walls.[92]
The US admitted more than 10,000 Afghan refugees from theUnited Arab Emirates, which became a temporary host to them on behalf of other nations. However, nearly 12,000 refugees remained in theAbu Dhabi facility as of August 2022. Refugees began to protest the slow and opaque resettlement process and the living conditions.[93] The protests resurfaced in October 2022. A refugee who moved to Canada said they are “psychologically suffering” in the Emirati facility.[94]
Throughout the course of Operation Allies Welcome, the United States issued humanitarian parole status to more than 76,000 evacuated Afghan nationals. Humanitarian parole serves as a method for individuals otherwise ineligible for admission into the United States to be given temporary permission to enter the country by the Secretary of Homeland Security.[95] These individuals are paroled into the country as a result of "urgent humanitarian reasons or [for] significant public benefit"[96] In the case of Afghan nationals, this status was given for a period of 2 years, additionally granting these parolees employment authorization in the country. Individuals granted humanitarian parole status differ from their counterparts admitted through Special Immigrant Visa (SIV) or the standard immigration process, in that they lack set pathway to achieve Lawful Permanent Residency (or Green Card) status.[97]
In June 2023, the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UN World Food Programme (WFP) discussed the current situation inAfghanistan. “In Afghanistan, approximately 15.3 million people (35 percent of the population analysed) are estimated to face high acute food insecurity … including just under 2.8 million people in Emergency … Over 3.2 million children and 804,000 pregnant and breastfeeding women are acutely malnourished.”[98]
In the same month, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) opened up a new program for Afghan nationals residing in the United States. This program allowed for Afghan Humanitarian Parolees to re-apply to the United States Customs and Immigration Services (USCIS) for parole status if they fell into eligible categories, particularly if they had been initially paroled into the United States as part of the initial Operation Allies Refuge. The policy was put into place by the administration of President Joe Biden, and additionally allowed for the extension of employment authorization for any individual whose re-parole was approved.[99]
Afghan parolees residing in the United States continue to face an unclear future when it comes to permanent residency. Efforts such as the Afghan Adjustment Act have been introduced into both the 117th and 118th US Congressional sessions in an effort to provide a pathway to citizenship for Afghan nationals, however the bill has yet to pass both Houses of Congress, partly as a result of its key omission from the 2022 omnibus spending bill (the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2022). Opposition to the Act has largely come from Republican lawmakers, particularly Senator Chuck Grassley, who stated in 2022 that he would not stand behind the bill "as long as the vetting process is not improved."[100] Multiple Republicans have echoed this point of view, after two individuals of the more than 76,000 admitted were found to potentially pose a threat to National Security as a result of a report from the Office of the Inspector General.[101][100]
Hundreds of former Afghan special forces who fought alongside British troops in Afghanistan have been refused resettlement to the UK.[102][103] One former UK Special Forces officer told theBBC that "At a time when certain actions by UK Special Forces are under investigation by apublic inquiry, their headquarters also had the power to prevent former Afghan Special Forces colleagues and potential witnesses to these actions from getting safely to the UK."[104]
As shown in the chart below, registered Afghan refugees were admitted to other countries during the following periods:
| Country | Soviet–Afghan War (1979–89) | Civil War (1992–96) | Taliban Rule (1996–2001) | War in Afghanistan (2001–2021) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Pakistan | 3,100,000[105] | 1,438,432 | [35][31][106][37][38][10] | ||
 Iran | 3,100,000[105] | 780,000 | [31][106][37][53] | ||
 Germany | 147,994 | [31] | |||
 Turkey | 129,323 | [37] | |||
 United States | 132,000[107] | 89,500 | [108][109][110] | ||
 Austria | 40,096 | [31][111] | |||
 France | 31,546 | [31] | |||
 Sweden | 29,927 | [31] | |||
 Greece | 21,456 | [31] | |||
 India | 60,000[112] | 15,806 | [37][113] | ||
 Switzerland | 14,523 | [31] | |||
 Italy | 12,096 | [31] | |||
 Australia | 10,659 | [31] | |||
 United Kingdom | 9,351 | [31] | |||
 Indonesia | 7,629 | [37][114][31] | |||
 Tajikistan | 1,161[115] | 15,336[115] | 5,573 | [31] | |
 Netherlands | 5,212 | [31] | |||
 Belgium | 4,689 | [31] | |||
 Norway | 4,007 | [31] | |||
 Finland | 3,331 | [31] | |||
 Malaysia | 2,661 | [37][31] | |||
 Romania | 2,384 | [116] | |||
 Canada | 2,261 | [31] | |||
 Denmark | 2,134 | [31] | |||
 Portugal | 883 | [117] | |||
Human rights abuses against admitted Afghanrefugees andasylum seekers have been widely documented. They includemistreatment,persecution ortorture in Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Greece, Romania, Serbia, Hungary, Germany, the United States and several other NATO-members states.[118][119][120][121][122][23] Afghans living in Iran, for example, were deliberately restricted from attending public schools.[123][124][125] As the price of citizenship for their family members, Afghan children as young as 14 were recruited tofight in Iraq and Syria for a six-month tour.[126]
Afghan refugees were regularly denied visas to travel between countries to visit their family members, faced long delays (usually a few years)[127] in processing of their visa applications to visit family members for purposes such as weddings, gravely ill family member, burial ceremonies, and university graduation ceremonies; potentially violating rights includingfree movement,right to family life and theright to an effective remedy.[128][129][130] Racism, low wage jobs including below minimum wage jobs, lower than inflation rate salary increases, were commonly practiced in Europe and elsewhere. Unsanitary conditions have been reported at US air bases,[131][132] and one Afghan refugee's online post of his food portion atFort Bliss in 2021 drew some hateful responses.[133][134] Many Afghan refugees were not permitted to visit their family members for a decade or two. Studies have shown abnormally highmental health issues andsuicide rates among Afghan refugees and their children.[135][136][137][138][139]
While all citizens are nationals, not all nationals are citizens.
TheChild Citizenship Act of 2000, Pub.L. No. 106-395, 114 Stat. 1631, revised the manner in which children of non-citizens born outside the United States are eligible to become U.S. citizens.
A child acquires derivative citizenship by operation of law, not by adjudication.
A person who claims to have derived United States citizenship by naturalization of a parent may apply to theAttorney General for a certificate, but a certificate is not required.
TheImmigration and Nationality Act defines naturalization as 'conferring of nationality of a state upon a person after birth, by any means whatsoever.'
A person naturalized under § 1433(a) need not meet many of the requirements for naturalization—such as language, residence, and physical presence requirements—imposed upon those who seek naturalization under other provisions.... Thus, qualifying for naturalization under § 1433(a) can be of substantial importance to applicants for naturalization.
Since 2002, in what has become the world's largest assisted return programme, UNHCR has been facilitating voluntary repatriation of millions of Afghan refugees from Pakistan. Ten years after programme began, UNHCR has directly helped around 4.4 million Afghans to return home.
Pakistan's interior minister said Sunday that the families of Afghanistan's Taliban reside in his country, including in areas around the capital, Islamabad, and the insurgent group's members receive some medical treatment in local hospitals.
According to the latest figures communicated by the Government in October 2020, on which consultations are ongoing, 800,000 refugees live in Iran, of which 780,000 are Afghans and 20,000 are Iraqis. Additionally, it is estimated that some 2 million undocumented Afghans and nearly 600,000 Afghan-passport holders live in Iran – it is expected that a significant number of those individuals continue to have international protection needs.
refugees (country of origin): 2.6 million undocumented Afghans, 780,000 Afghan refugee card holders, 20,000 Iraqi refugee card holders (2020)
Upon arrival in the US, more than 70,000 evacuees (PDF) were granted humanitarian parole for two years, a temporary immigration status with no path to permanent residency.
Prior to the Taliban advance, US officials said 15,000 Afghans had already relocated to the US under the Special Immigrant Visas programme.
Those who fled the Taliban's first reign grapple with the constant threat of deportation, police harassment, and discrimination.