Ghulam Ali begins his days in pain, hauling grain on a rickety cart through the streets of Kabul.

He is among more than 1.2 million Afghans deported from neighboring Iran since March 2024, according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), after Tehran pledged mass deportations to counter local discontent over refugees.

Thousands have also fled this month after Israeli and US airstrikes hit Iranian military targets.

Ali, 51, whose family left Afghanistan during the Soviet invasion in the 1980s, considers Iran his home but feels he has lost everything.

He is now struggling to reintegrate into a homeland that has changed drastically since he left.

The situation is dire for many returnees as they face severe restrictions and economic challenges in their own country under Taliban rule.

Many Afghans are being forcibly deported from neighboring countries, leaving them with little choice but to return home where conditions are equally difficult.

The UN Secretary-General has called on countries hosting Afghan refugees to protect those in need and abide by international obligations for voluntary returns.

The situation for returning Afghans is bleak as they struggle to secure housing, employment, and basic services in their own country.