The United Nations reported that in 2026, 2.5 million refugees around the world will require resettlement.
UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said that Afghan citizens represent the largest group in need of resettlement.
“Speaking of refugees, our friends at UNHCR released a report estimating that 2.5 million refugees worldwide will need to be resettled next year. UNHCR said that while the figure remains high, annual resettlement needs have decreased for next year — down from 2.9 million in 2025, even as the global number of refugees continues to grow. This is mainly due to the changed situation in Syria, which has allowed for voluntary returns. UNHCR said that for 2026, the largest refugee populations that will need to be resettled are Afghans, followed by Syrians, South Sudanese, Sudanese, Rohingya and Congolese.” he said.
At the same time, UNHCR’s Afghanistan office reported that in the first five months of this year, more than 393,000 Afghan migrants were deported from Iran and Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan. Additionally, 264 cases of deportation from Tajikistan have been recorded so far this year.
Mohammad Jamal Moslem, a migrant rights activist, told “UNHCR should convince host countries to address the problems of these individuals with respect for human dignity, and the Islamic Emirate and emergency committee must work with aid organizations to provide better shelter and economic support for affected citizens.”
Meanwhile, Abdul Aziz, who had gone to Iran so his children could access education, was recently deported and is now living in a migrant camp in Kabul. “If educational opportunities are provided for our children, we will not go to neighboring countries again.”
This comes as fewer than six days remain before Pakistan’s deadline and less than twelve days before Iran’s deadline for Afghan migrants to leave.