Afghanistan's deepening migration crisis

Andrew Quilty/IRIN

Rohullah Qaderi faces deportation from Germany even though he was beaten and escaped death threats and a kidnapping attempt back in Afghanistan.

Rakshe Kanwal is forced to choose between staying in her native Pakistan or taking her children to Afghanistan where her husband has been deported.

Rezwan was deported from Iran straight to his mother’s funeral in Afghanistan after Iranian border guards shot and killed her as they made their way to Turkey.

These are just a few of the stories of people caught up in a migration crisis that threatens to overwhelm Afghanistan. Refugees are no longer welcome in neighbouring countries, or in Europe, even though the war at home is getting worse and record numbers of people are fleeing their homes due to violence.

The Afghan government says it’s trying to help returnees, but long-term reintegration plans are glaringly absent. Both local and international humanitarian agencies say they’re overstretched as it is, and they fear a mass influx will add to the instability. And rights groups say neither the government nor donors have tackled the returnees’ most pressing long-term needs: jobs, schools, and a secure place to live.

 

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