UNHCR Afghanistan Post Return Monitoring Survey Report

This post-return monitoring report presents a snapshot of the Afghan households who returned to Afghanistan between January and August 2025, a period during which an estimated 1.8 million individuals returned. The survey findings show differences between returnee groups. Returnees from Iran generally reported higher levels of education, slightly improved food security, and greater access to durable housing, but were less likely to have income‑generating employment, and more often reported barriers to girls’ education. Returnees from Pakistan faced deeper economic strain, relied more on daily wage labour, and carried higher debt. Timing also mattered: those returning from Pakistan after April found more casual income opportunities but struggled to afford rent and maintain sufficient food. Across all groups, returnees continue to settle in areas with fragile conditions marked by deepening poverty and limited access to essential services. Many cannot return to their areas of origin due to lack of shelter, land, or livelihoods. Over half of households surveyed reported missing essential civil documentation, restricting access to education, healthcare, and housing. Education remains sharply constrained for all women and girls in Afghanistan: returnees from Iran most often cited policies and laws as the key barrier, while returnees from Pakistan pointed to economic obstacles. Access to healthcare is limited by cost, distance, and medicine shortages, with women disproportionately affected due to movement restrictions. These findings highlight the urgency of sustained, multi‑sectoral support to protect returnees and assist their reintegration. Interventions must be tailored to the differing profiles and needs of returnees from Iran and Pakistan, taking into account their distinct vulnerabilities and circumstances behind their return. Continued post‑return monitoring remains critical to track evolving challenges, adapt programming, and advance long‑term stability and protection.