Against the Odds, a Young Afghan Woman Rebuilds Her Life in Afghanistan

Afghanistan – Sahar*, a 19-year-old Afghan woman, was born in Iran, where she spent her entire life after her family fled Afghanistan in 1998 due to political upheaval and power changes in the country. Despite the challenges of living as a migrant and her family’s financial hardships, Sahar dedicated herself to her education, dreaming of a brighter future for herself and her two younger brothers.

“I felt the happiest when I went to school for the first time. I loved learning and making new friends at school,” said Sahar.

Her home environment, however, was starkly different.

Sahar’s mother suffered from a chronic illness that worsened after her father remarried. After her mother passed away, both her father and stepmother became aggressive and abusive toward Sahar and her brothers.

“When my mother passed away, my world plunged into darkness,” said Sahar.

Sahar worked tirelessly in restaurants to support her family and secretly attended school despite her father and stepmother's opposition. She faced a difficult life, enduring abuse at home whenever they discovered she was pursuing her education.

This took a severe toll on Sahar's mental health, leading to multiple suicide attempts. “My younger brothers were my only source of solace and strength. Their innocent smiles and unwavering love kept me going.”

Sahar made the brave decision to flee her father's home with her brothers. They spent countless nights wandering the streets and sleeping in parks until she finally found a job and rented a small apartment. Despite the overwhelming challenges, she managed to enroll her brothers in school and worked hard to give them a sense of stability.

One day, one of Sahar’s brothers fell ill and required surgery. With her limited savings, Sahar took him to a public hospital in Tehran. When they tried to register for the surgery, they could not present the required documentation. Her father had kept all their documents, and in her haste to flee, she did not try to get them, fearing he would discover her plans to escape. As a result, the hospital informed the police, leading to their arrest and forced return to Afghanistan.

Arriving at the Islam Qala border in Herat, Sahar was gripped by fear and uncertainty. She had never lived in Afghanistan – it was a land she knew only through stories of hardships. The reality of their situation was daunting, leaving her deeply concerned about their future.

“When we first arrived at the Islam Qala border, fear consumed me,” Sahar said, her voice trembling as she recounted those difficult moments.

Sahar and her brothers arrived at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reception centre in Islam Qala, where both forcibly and voluntarily returned Afghan migrants are assessed for vulnerabilities. They are also provided with refreshments and hot meals before being transported to IOM transit centres. 

Upon arrival at the transit centre, migrants receive additional support from IOM and partners, including overnight accommodation, food and health care. Vulnerable undocumented returnees, like Sahar and her brothers, also receive specialized protection support.

The number of returnees from Iran remains consistently high. From January 2023 to July 2024, 1.7 million undocumented Afghans returned from Iran to Afghanistan, with 60 per cent of them forcibly returned.

"We received cash for transportation to go to our home province. I remembered that when I was a child, my mother used to tell me we were from Balkh*. I told my brothers we are going to Balkh, having no idea what it looks like or what language they speak," said Sahar.

Upon her arrival in Balkh, northern Afghanistan, IOM provided Sahar with additional protection support and referred her brothers to receive medical treatment.

One day, wanting to buy clothes for her brothers and herself but unable to afford them, Sahar decided to learn tailoring by drawing on memories of watching her mother sew. She borrowed a sewing machine from a neighbour and made clothes for herself and her brothers. Once she felt confident in her skills, she used the funds from IOM to purchase a new sewing machine.

She continued practicing until she felt skilled enough to start a small business. She now sews clothes for most members of her community, earning a modest income to support her brothers.

Since August 2021, millions of Afghan women and girls have been grappling with increasingly restrictive decrees, which have confined them to their homes and restricted their important contributions to society. In 2023, Afghanistan was ranked last in the Women Peace and Security Index, published annually by the Georgetown Institute for Women, Peace and Security, which aims to capture States’ advancements on women’s inclusion, justice and security.

For Sahar, this also meant an additional layer of fear and uncertainty as she started her new life in Balkh.

"Returning to Afghanistan was terrifying. The rights and freedoms that Afghan women and girls had fought so hard for were suddenly stripped away. Every day, I worry about my brothers' future and my own safety," said Sahar.

Despite the challenges, Sahar is determined to create a better life for herself and her brothers.

"I want to see a future free of hardships for myself and my brothers. I dream of becoming a doctor, helping others, and seeing my brothers receive an education and stand on their own," said Sahar.

From January 2023 to July 2024, IOM provided post-arrival assistance to 841,521 returning Afghan migrants at its centres. This includes specialized protection support for 101,330 vulnerable undocumented returnees like Sahar and her brothers, made possible through funding from the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations; the US State Department Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration; the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Netherlands; the United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund; the Government of Japan; the Swiss State Secretariat for Migration; the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation;  and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Norway.

IOM and partners reiterate their call to all countries to immediately halt the forced returns of Afghans, both in short and long terms, until conditions are established to ensure safe, dignified and voluntary returns, regardless of legal status. IOM advocates for the establishment of regular migration pathways and access to documentation to minimize irregular migration and reduce risks for vulnerable migrants. 

*Names and identifying details have been changed to protect Sahar’s identity.

This story was written by Mohammad Osman Azizi and edited by Avand Azeez Agha. For more information, please contact: mohamazizi@iom.int