IOM: Afghanistan’s Population Up 10% in 3 Years as Returning Migrants Strain System

DID Press: The head of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Afghanistan has warned that large-scale returns of migrants from neighboring countries have increased Afghanistan’s population by at least 10% over the past three years, intensifying pressure on an already crisis-hit country.

Mia Park, head of the IOM office in Afghanistan, told Sky News that women and girls are bearing the greatest burden of the evolving situation and face growing uncertainty about international attention to their conditions.

She said Afghan women repeatedly express concern that the world is turning away from their situation, with diminishing global focus on Afghanistan amid other international crises and conflicts.

Park also highlighted the challenges faced by returning migrants from Pakistan and Iran, noting that many encounter difficult realities upon arrival in Afghanistan.

She further emphasized that broad restrictions on women’s education, employment, and social participation have significantly altered daily life and made reintegration of returnees more difficult.

The IOM official warned that without sustained international engagement and support, both returnees and vulnerable groups—especially women—will continue to face severe humanitarian and socioeconomic pressures.