Thousands of Afghans are returning home from Iran as war, soaring prices and the collapse of the Iranian rial leave many migrants without jobs and erode their savings.

Iran’s Statistical Centre says consumer prices have risen by nearly 90% over the past year, while food inflation has approached 130%, according to Reuters.

The economic crisis is also hitting Afghan migrants who have lived and worked in Iran for years. According to surveys by the International Organization for Migration (IOM), only 29% of recently returned Afghans said they still had savings, while their average income had fallen by almost one-third compared with pre-crisis levels.

More than 2 million Afghans have left Iran over the past two years, according to UN refugee data. While deportations and pressure from Iranian authorities have historically accounted for much of the movement, an increasing number of women and entire families are now leaving voluntarily amid the worsening economic situation.

At the Islam Qala border crossing, Taliban official Abdul Ghani Qazizadeh said between 20 and 40 families are returning voluntarily each day.

Many returning migrants say they have struggled to find work in Iran, while some report that employers have withheld their wages.

For families returning to Afghanistan, however, the move comes with significant challenges, including limited employment opportunities and restrictions affecting women and girls under Taliban rule.