UN High Commissioner Meets Taliban Officials: Security and Dignity of Women Must Be Ensured

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, in a meeting with Taliban officials, stressed the urgent need to ensure the security and human dignity of returning women and children.

On Monday, July 22, Grandi wrote on the social platform X that he had discussed the emergency situation of returnees with Taliban authorities and underscored the importance of providing safe and respectful responses to the needs of all returnees — especially women and children.

He warned that in the current challenging circumstances, the Afghan people need international support more than ever.

These concerns arise amid a sharp increase in the forced return of Afghan migrants — particularly women and girls — from Iran and Pakistan, while they face severe restrictions and denial of basic rights such as education and freedom of movement upon their return.

Earlier, UN experts stated that Afghanistan under Taliban rule is not safe for returnees and that women and girls are systematically stripped of their fundamental rights. At the same time, LGBTQ+ individuals face criminalization.

According to UN figures, in 2025 alone, over 1.5 million Afghans have been returned from Iran and more than 300,000 from Pakistan — a figure described as “staggering.”