Human displacement has various negative impacts on refugee populations as well as the host states which handle the intake of refugees. However, it is a humanitarian act by states to support such vulnerable communities. Pakistan has done so, with years of provision of shelter, livelihood opportunities, and healthcare facilities to vulnerable Afghan refugees. However, as of the current repatriation drive, the problems of the Afghan refugees have intensified. The following issues are faced by refugees and internally displaced populations in general and specifically Afghan refugees.
1. Unavailability of Adequate Shelter
Even though significant work has been carried out to provide shelter for vulnerable refugee populations, the lack of adequate and safe shelter can further displace refugees. Attached to these shelter issues are more problems like sanitation issues and overcrowding in refugee camps. Life in such camps is difficult due to the lack of basic facilities, especially for families with vulnerable members like pregnant women and children or disabled refugees. Not only this, but the fact that the shelter or camp is a temporary means of stay further takes a greater toll on the mental health of the refugees. In an example of research on the arrival of Syrian refugees in Jordan in 2011, the housing prices increased, making it further difficult for the refugees to find shelter. “Syrian refugee flows increased housing rental prices in Jordan.” (Roza & Sviatsch, 2021). Hence, shelter is the primary access for a refugee that needs to be made easier to obtain and maintain. In the case of Afghan refugees being repatriated, this will result in the unavailability of adequate and safe shelters for families moving back.
2. Negative Effects of Climate
In addition to shelter issues, the climate of the host state also affects the refugee populations, especially if the climate is unfavourable in the form of floods, heat waves, etc. The negative impacts of climate on the population are two-fold: Firstly, on existing refugees within the host states, which can be vulnerable to disasters. Secondly, the creation of climate refugees itself. The intersectionality of the refugees as displaced people combined with the climate change effect further exacerbates the living conditions of refugees. In colder regions, camps and tents expose the refugees to harsh winds and rain. The refugees must look for proper land to set up camps or find proper walled infrastructural shelters to survive in harsh weather conditions. Due to destruction caused by disasters like floods and earthquakes, large populations are often displaced from their homes. As for the coastal belt of Pakistan, and the people residing alongside it, they can be displaced due to rising sea-levels and floods. “Most climate migrants are, and will be, displaced from rural areas and the coastal belt of Pakistan.” (Hayat, 2021). Similarly, due to the recent earthquakes and extreme cold weather in Afghanistan, the availability of effective healthcare has been severely affected. Several health facilities sustained partial damage, including the Balghali Primary Healthcare Clinic in Samangan, supported by WHO, and the Hayatan PHC in Balkh. (WHO, 2025). Therefore, Pakistan must take steps to take into account the vulnerabilities of climate-affected Afghan refugees in the current repatriation drive.
3. Exposure to Hazardous Diseases
When refugees live in camps and temporary shelters, they are highly vulnerable to hazardous health environments, making them more susceptible to deadly water-borne diseases. This is due to the lack of hygienic living conditions and availability of sanitary water sources. The refugees are compelled to make do with whatever is available to them. In the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan, the situation is particularly vulnerable for people with a much weaker immune system like children and women. “Major issues for Afghan refugees’ access to healthcare services include women’s health and maternal care, mental health and psychological trauma, and inclusion in national health plans for issues such as public health crises.” Hence, Pakistan must consider the relative healthcare needs of women, girls, children, elderly, people with disabilities, and chronic diseases. They must be allowed to get access to adequate and effective healthcare and must be given exemption from immediate repatriation.
4. Lack of Food Security
Food insecurity is also one of the various problems faced by refugees around the world, which ultimately impacts their health. “Food insecurity is a global concern for Afghan refugees; as the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan intensifies, millions of Afghans experience severe food shortages.” Hence, Afghan refugees face food insecurity not only in the host country but also after resettlement. In most cases, they are unfamiliar with the food markets and environment, while in some cases, lack of nutritious food leads to health deficiencies. As refugees, they find it hard to get access to proper food and clean water sources, which are basic needs of every individual. The research by (Goliaei et al, 2023) suggests a solution to counter this issue, “To address these concerns, we encourage refugee-serving organizations and policymakers to invest more in understanding the refugee communities’ food access barriers and needs and increase collaboration among all service providers serving the newly arrived Afghan refugees.”
5. Exacerbated Gender-Based Issues Faced by Female Refugees
As refugees are displaced, they must live under inconvenient conditions characterized by health, and food and security issues. Specifically vulnerable people are women and young girls who are not only threatened in their home state where war or instability starts but also in their journey towards a new safer place. Similarly, after relocating, having a refugee status can be particularly limiting for women who are already marginalized in patriarchal societies. In such vulnerable conditions, women face exacerbated Gender Based Violence issues like an increased rate of domestic violence, risk of sexual exploitation, marital health issues, etc. “Conversely, women and girls who are deported to Afghanistan run the danger of becoming victims of forced and underage marriages. Therefore, women and girls are more likely to be in danger throughout this process of uninvited repatriation.” Hence, in countering the refugee crisis around the world or in the case of the Afghan refugees, utilizing a gendered perspective to analyze the issue of female refugees can propose better solutions and policy making.
6. Psychological Trauma Impacts
Whether to escape active persecution, violence, national instability, or climate crisis, displacement whether internal or external can leave deep-rooted negative impacts on the mental health of the refugees. Further, integration in the host countries can be problematic due to cultural and religious differences. The refugees may feel alienated and marginalized. The lack of financial stability and unavailability of a safe living environment can further exacerbate the situation. And as refugees are repatriated, they face greater challenges of psychological stress to resettle. A study conducted on Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in Austria showed signs of pre-migration and post-migration trauma and stress. “The results of this study indicate an alarmingly high level of mental health symptoms in Afghan asylum seekers and refugees, which appear to be more prevalent than in the general population.” Hence, Afghan refugees being repatriated must be allowed a gradual, organized, and dignified voluntary return.
7. Refugee Children Being Exposed to Harsh Conditions
Children, due to their young age and low immunity levels, are impacted more as compared to adults. Plus, they are more susceptible to mental/physical diseases and issues of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) as well as child labour. The most important element for their intellectual growth is the availability of education, which is disrupted as they become refugees. Consequently, children can find it particularly more difficult to adapt to new social environments in the host country. “Displacement can also derail key developmental milestones. Children may experience delays in language acquisition, cognitive growth, and social-emotional development.” Hence, displacement has profound hazardous impacts on children and youth, which affect their overall mental and physical growth. This is why; the Pakistani government must ensure that Afghan refugee children and youth interests are protected in their return to Afghanistan.
8. Disrupted Education
Afghan refugees face serious educational obstacles. At first, for the youth, their educational journey was disrupted prior to their refugee status; later, they face documentation and financial challenges in obtaining educational opportunities in the host country. Especially, now that they are being repatriated, in the case of female Afghan refugees in Pakistan, they will face cultural setbacks and limitations in continuing their education in Afghanistan under Taliban rule. “In terms of education policy, systemic barriers to obtain schooling, poor quality of instruction, gendered expectations, and inaccessibility for rural students all contribute to a lack of education for Afghan refugees.” Hence, the disruption in their basic right to education causes a major setback to their professional careers as well. This should be countered by enhancing the educational and intellectual abilities of the refugees at all educational levels; Primary, Secondary, and higher education, and allowing refugee students to complete their education in the host state.
9. Obstacles To Livelihood and Sufficient Earning
As refugees arrive in the host state, they often struggle to find sustainable income sources. For this, they utilize their skills or their educational excellence. However, in cases where the refugees already come from educationally deprived environments, it makes it difficult for them to earn a decent livelihood. Majority of them only become a part of small, lower-paying jobs. For example, in Pakistan, most Afghan refugees comprise lower-paying jobs like labourers, farmers, waste management workers, cleaners, etc. “In most areas visited, refugees were found to remain engaged in low-end non-skilled based jobs, mainly in construction or in the agriculture sector. Most host community people (except the very poor segments) usually avoid such occupations.” Similarly, they are also inclined towards accepting more precarious job opportunities like coal mining. Now that the Afghan refugees are being repatriated, Pakistan must ensure fast-track visa schemes and work permits for skilled Afghan refugees, making sure that their livelihood is not severely impacted.
10. Lack of Social Integration Under Cultural Obstacles
Many of the Afghan refugees have migrated to various countries like Pakistan, Iran, and even the USA. Since every place has a different social environment, it can be difficult for the refugees to adapt to the new environment. For example, language barriers, and finding halal food in foreign countries are some of the cultural obstacles that Afghan refugees had to face as they went to the USA. Research by (Goliaei et al, 2023) based on Afghan refugees living in California, USA, indicated that, “food access and choices of recently resettled refugees in this area are affected by other complex factors, including lack of familiarity with the US food environment, transportation and language barriers, and poor budgeting abilities.”
Repatriation
“The UN’s refugee agency had reported that more than 3.5 million Afghans had been living in Pakistan, including around 700,000 people who came after the Taliban takeover in 2021.” However, as of the Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan 2023, Afghan refugees are being repatriated to Afghanistan. This alerts one of the humanitarian concerns associated with repatriation. Repatriation disrupts the life that the refugees had so far established in the host country. Hence, they must abandon that life and move back to their home country which might not be stable and secure for the incoming population. The state’s concern and national security interests are also important and understandable. Hence, a more phased, humane, and organized repatriation process must be adopted. Women and children must be secured and respected. The refugee youth’s educational endeavors must be protected and promoted at all levels.
Resettlement issues in home country
Lastly, as refugees are repatriated, their resettlement in new environments can be difficult. This is because the refugees must adapt to new social, economic/financial, and political environments. They must start from scratch in terms of their livelihood, and finding employment can be problematic in an already saturated market. For example, many Afghan refugees in Pakistan have small businesses in Punjab as well as are part of Pakistan’s overall supply chain and trade network (Coal mining, labourers, vendors, mechanics, farmers, artists, etc.). Their departure from the host country after a longer period can not only negatively impact the host country’s economy but also financially destabilize the refugees themselves. Hence, the return and resettlement of refugees should be careful, organized, and properly planned. “Return and resettlement processes should focus on providing safe passage for displaced populations as they return to their homes or country of origin.” In conclusion, as global conflicts and instability are growing in scope, range, and intensity, displacement is also becoming more complex. This calls for effective solutions and policy making by federal and provincial governments, as well as rehabilitation and resettlement efforts by NGOs. Meanwhile, refugee issues are not just limited to direct impacts like displacement, disruption in education, etc., but also to deeper, nuanced indirect impacts like the exacerbation of GBV issues among female refugees, the role of environmental effects on the refugees, cultural differences, and integration issues. Only when these problems are analyzed properly can the refugee crisis be resolved efficiently.
References
• Andisha, & Schuster. (2023). Afghan Refugee Populations’ Mental Health: Exploring Pre-migration Environmental Differences and Post-migration Stressors. Taylor and Franscis.
• Burgin, D., & et el. (2022). Impact of war and forced displacement on children’s mental health-multilevel, needs-oriented, and trauma-informed approaches. National Library of Medicine.
• Goliaei et el. (2023). Post-Resettlement Food Insecurity: Afghan Refugees and Challenges of the New Environment. Retrieved from https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10218420/#sec1-ijerph-20-05846
• Hadeeqa. (2025, August 15). The Plight of Afghan Refugees: Human Rights Implications of Deportation by Pakistan. Retrieved from Modern Diplomacy: https://moderndiplomacy.eu/2025/08/14/the-plight-of-afghan-refugees-human-rights-implications-of-deportation-by-pakistan/#:~:text=Many%20refugees%20in%20Pakistan%20are,fear%20in%20the%20refugee%20community.
• Hayat, S. (2021, September 9). Pakistan’s policymakers must address climate migration. Retrieved from Climate Diplomacy.
• (2018). Market Systems Analysis. UNHCR/ILO.
• Return and Resettlement of Refugees and Internally Displaced Populations. (n.d.). US Institute of Peace.
• Roza, & Sviatsch. (2021). Is a refugee crisis a housing crisis? Only if housing supply is unresponsive. Journal of Development Economics. Retrieved from https://www.jointdatacenter.org/literature_review/is-a-refugee-crisis-a-housing-crisis-only-if-housing-supply-is-unresponsive-2/#:~:text=This%20paper%20examines%20the%20impact,Syrian%20civil%20war%20in%202011.
• Usman, M. (2025, Janurary 6). Afghan Diaspora in Pakistan: Healthcare and Education Policy Recommendations. Retrieved from Refugee Research Online.
• WHO warns of rising health needs after deadly earthquake in northern Afghanistan. (2025, November 4). Retrieved from Ariana News.
Graduate Student of BS-IR
Intern – ICRMS