Jul 07, Kathmandu - The United Nations Migration Agency (IOM) said on Monday that nearly 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the beginning of June, after Iran ordered those without the necessary documents to leave the country by July 6.

In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6. The number of people crossing the border has increased since mid-June, and in a few days, about 40,000 people have entered the country through the Islam Kala border in western Herat province, according to the UN agency.

A total of 449,218 Afghans returned from Iran between June 1 and July 5, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement. The United Nations, international NGOs and Taliban officials have called for more funding to support the returnees, saying cuts in foreign aid have affected the crisis management.

The United Nations has warned that this influx could destabilize the country, which is grappling with problems related to poverty, unemployment and climate change, and urged the countries concerned not to forcibly return the Afghans. Forcing or pressuring Afghans to return risks further destabilizing the region and pushing them towards Europe, the UN refugee agency UNHCR said in a statement.