Country Profile
GAPs Country Profile: Afghanistan / Blog Posts
In the wake of forced or voluntary return, the aspirations for migration among Afghans remain steadfast, undeterred by the hurdles of the journey back home. Drawing from qualitative in-depth life history interviews conducted by Bilim in Herat, Balkh, Kabul, and Kandahar provinces of Afghanistan, I intend to reflect on a few major themes to uncover the profound desire of returnees to migrate once more. These individuals, grappling with the harsh realities of life in Afghanistan, harbor a fervent longing for the promise of a better future elsewhere—a longing that persists despite their past experiences of migration and return.
The Plight of Afghan Return Migrants from Pakistan
by: Hideyat Siddiqi | BILIM Organization for Research and Social Studies
While strategists, policymakers, and scholars around the world are overwhelmingly concerned about the humanitarian crisis in the Middle East (Israel-Gaza war) and the war in Ukraine, Afghan refugees have once again become a top agenda item for the foreign policies of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Home to the second-largest population of Afghan refugees worldwide (over 4.4 million), Pakistan ordered an ultimatum for forced deportation of 1.7 million undocumented Afghan refugees on November 1, 2023.
Returning to Uncertainty: Navigating Challenges in Post-2021 Afghanistan
by: Hidayet Siddiqi, BILIM | Shapoor Hamid, BILIM
For decades, migration remained a prevailing survival strategy among Afghans, a means to escape conflict and pervasive uncertainty. Currently, the host nations are increasingly advocating for the return of Afghan refugees to their home country as a viable solution. However, the general lack of economic opportunity and geopolitical uncertainty in Afghanistan poses significant challenges to convincing Afghan refugees to consider voluntary return to their homeland…
BRC has Signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation, Afghanistan
by: Hidayet Siddiqi, BILIM | Shapoor Hamid, BILIM
Afghanistan ranks among the leading countries producing the highest number of refugees and returnees worldwide. The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979 and subsequent waves of internal conflicts and violence forced nearly 5 million Afghans to remain forcibly displaced outside Afghanistan. Likewise, each year hundreds of thousands of Afghans are forcibly returned to their country. Established in 1990, the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation (MoRR) is the highest authority and responsible institution for addressing complexities and challenges associated with refugees and returnees in the country.
To uphold a strong collaboration and cooperation in the areas of migration studies, the BILIM Organization for Social Studies (BRC) has developed a cordial relationship with the ministry. In this context, to secure a strong legal framework…
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