Mass returns from Iran and Pakistan push Afghan women back under Taliban restrictions

A family's deportation reflects a regional emergency

Three Afghan sisters raised largely in Iran have been forced back to Herat after Iranian authorities detained members of their family and deported them, the Guardian reported on September 9. The women, identified with changed names for their protection, had pursued schooling or work in Iran. In Afghanistan they now spend most of their time at home and rely on unofficial private classes that cannot issue recognised diplomas.

Their experience is part of a much larger movement. UNHCR's Afghanistan data recorded about 1.08 million returns from neighbouring countries during 2026 by August 1, including voluntary movements, deportations and other forms of return. The agency counted about 413,050 deportations, with roughly 351,700 from Iran and 60,100 from Pakistan. Those definitions matter because not every return was forced, while deportations represent a distinct subset.

Women return to restrictions and limited choices

For women and girls, return carries consequences beyond displacement. UNHCR says severe restrictions on education, movement, employment and public participation compound protection risks. The Taliban bars girls from secondary school and women from universities, while curbs on work and movement narrow the ability of female-headed households to earn income, secure housing or reach services. The Guardian's account describes the sisters continuing their education privately but without formal accreditation.

The pressure begins before families reach Afghanistan. The sisters described insecure legal status and discrimination in Iran, followed by detention and removal. UNHCR's regional assessment says large-scale returns have exceeded reception and reintegration capacity, contributing to family separation, asset loss and secondary displacement. In its June overview, the agency also reported that women returnees faced substantially higher rates of eviction or threatened eviction than male-headed households.

What happens next depends partly on policies in Tehran and Islamabad and partly on whether Afghanistan's rulers ease restrictions. Immediate needs include documentation, safe housing, cash support and access to education. Longer term, the absence of recognised schooling and employment pathways risks turning a border-management campaign into a generational loss of skills. The sisters' case is therefore not only a personal story but a measure of how regional expulsions interact with Taliban policy.