Nearly 12,000 Afghans Return Home in One Week

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has reported that a total of 11,515 Afghans returned to the country from various nations during a one-week period between May 3 and May 9, 2026.

The data provided by the UNHCR indicates that the overwhelming majority of these returnees arrived from Pakistan. Specifically, 11,354 individuals returned from Pakistan, representing the bulk of the total returnee population for that week. In addition to those arriving from Pakistan, the agency recorded 129 Afghans returning from Tajikistan and 32 individuals returning from Iran.

Beyond the figures regarding the countries of origin, the UNHCR also provided a detailed breakdown of the returnees by gender. According to the agency's records, 6,365 of the individuals who returned during this specific timeframe were women, while 5,150 were men.

These statistics offer a detailed look at the repatriation trends occurring during the first week of May 2026. The figures underscore a significant concentration of returnees originating from Pakistan when compared to the relatively small numbers of Afghan nationals returning from Tajikistan and Iran during the same seven-day window.