Pakistan Repatriates Over 1.3 Million Afghans Amid Regional Hardship

Since November 2023, Pakistan has repatriated approximately 1.3 million Afghan refugees in a deportation drive targeting those without legal documentation, contributing to a surge in forced returns that has left many families facing severe poverty, unemployment, and lack of basic services upon arrival in Afghanistan. Many returnees, like Zarghona's family, struggle without shelter, healthcare, or employment in a country still grappling with economic crisis and political uncertainty, while local communities face increased pressure from the influx. Meanwhile, in the UK, the Cameron Barracks in Inverness, which has been used as temporary accommodation under the Afghan Resettlement Programme for families who supported UK forces, is being phased out to return to military use amid heightened global security concerns. The UK government is shifting these families to hotels and rented housing, providing temporary housing for up to nine months while permanent arrangements are found. Local UK councils emphasize that these Afghan families have indefinite leave to remain and are not asylum seekers or illegal immigrants, highlighting community efforts to support their integration and honor commitments to those who aided the UK military. This resettlement is part of a broader national program designed to protect Afghans vulnerable due to their support for UK forces and facing danger from the Taliban.