The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced Thursday that more than 156,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their country in the first six months of 2024.

The organization said in a report that the situation for Afghans in neighboring countries has become increasingly challenging, with “economic fragility reducing livelihoods opportunities, a spiralling cost of living crisis, and rising instances of xenophobia.”

According to the report, over 1.6 million Afghans have sought safety and protection in Iran and Pakistan, adding a significant additional burden to the two host countries which now host over eight million Afghans. “As Afghans become the largest refugee population globally this year, surpassing Syrian nationals, the principal host countries who have hosted Afghans for decades need to be adequately supported,” it said.

UNHCR has stated that Iran currently hosts 3.8 million Afghan refugees and is the largest refugee-hosting country in the world.

According to the organization, 2.8 million Afghans live in Pakistan, of which 1.3 million are registered as refugees.

The report states that since Pakistan started the process of repatriation of illegal nationals in 2023, some 647,000 Afghans have returned to their country. Numbers of returns in 2024 have significantly decreased, following a pause in the process.

The Islamic Emirate confirmed late Wednesday it has initiated an investigation into allegations that over 200 Afghan migrants were shot dead on the Iran-Afghanistan border by Iranian military forces on Sunday.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, said in a post on X that “various governmental bodies and diplomatic missions of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan have initiated comprehensive investigations into the matter.

“As the incident is reported to have occurred beyond Afghanistan’s borders, the available information remains unverified. A conclusive decision will be made following a thorough clarification of the facts,” he said.

On Tuesday, an Iranian-based human rights organization, Haalvsh, claimed Iranian forces had gunned down at least 260 Afghan migrants near the Kalgan Saravan region in Iran's Sistan and Baluchestan province on Sunday evening.

According to Haalvsh, survivors of the shooting described horror scenes when Iranian military forces targeted the group.

Haalvsh reported that two survivors said there had been a group of about 300 migrants trying to cross the border when they were shot at and targeted with RPGs.

Iran’s special envoy and ambassador to Kabul, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, has however rejected the claims and said the report is “untrue”.

He said late Wednesday: “The results of direct follow-ups from reliable sources show that the news about the deaths of dozens of illegal citizens at the border of Saravan is not true.”

He stated that preventing the entry of illegal immigrants is the responsibility of Iran's border forces. Iran is committed to returning Afghan refugees and in this matter, it acts according to international treaties, he added.

The UN’s Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan Richard Bennett also responded to the claims and said: “I'm seriously concerned about reports of injuries & deaths of Afghans in Iran's Saravan border area and I call for authorities to investigate transparently.

“Clarity is urgently needed. These reports don't stand in isolation. More dignity & safety is needed for Afghans worldwide," he said.

Haalvsh said dozens were also wounded.

"On Sunday evening, dozens of Afghan citizens were targeted by direct fire and RPGs by the Islamic Republic's military forces who were ambushed in advance at the Kalgan-Saravan border. As a result, dozens of these migrants were killed and dozens more injured,” the organization stated.

The leaders of Pakistan and China have called on the Islamic Emirate to adopt "moderate policies’ and form an inclusive government.

According to a joint statement issued by the Prime Minister of Pakistan Shehbaz Sharif and Chinese Premier Li Qiang, they also emphasized the need to prevent the use of Afghanistan’s soil against its neighbors and called for an effective and measurable fight against terrorism in Afghanistan.

Li is in Islamabad for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting.

Pakistan accuses the Islamic Emirate of supporting its opposition groups, including the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Pakistani officials say that TTP has plotted and carried out attacks on them from Afghanistan.

However the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has repeatedly denied such allegations and has accused Pakistan of supporting Daesh.

Sharif and Li also called for the strengthening of anti-terrorism cooperation on a bilateral and multilateral level and called on the Islamic Emirate government to take concrete and verifiable measures to eliminate terrorist groups active in this country.

The two leaders also emphasized the importance of strengthening communication and coordination regarding the situation in Afghanistan and called for "coordinated efforts of the international community to encourage the Islamic Emirate to establish an inclusive political framework and implement moderate policies."

The two countries agreed to play a constructive role in supporting the sustainable development of Afghanistan and its integration into the international community.