Afghan refugees

Nearly 40 years ago, Afghans began fleeing the violence in their country and seeking refuge across nearby borders. More than 400,000 people fled the violence of the Communist-led Taraki and Amin government, crossing over into Pakistan. The numbers progressively swelled after the Soviet invasion in 1979. Over the next four years, there would be nearly 5 million refugees in Pakistan and Iran. Afghan refugees represent one of the world’s largest refugee population. Many have been forced from their homes to never see them again. Some were able to return, for a while, but just had to leave and seek refugee again due to the consistent violence that still existed after 4 decades. There are refugee camps where successive Afghan generations have lived, long forming part of the local fabric of society, and yet they have been denied their rights, demonized and constantly threatened with deportation. There are currently more than 2.6 million registered refugees in the world from Afghanistan which means more than 1 in 10 of all refugees, and the second highest number after Syria. There are more than 2 million people who have been displaced within Afghanistan by the ongoing conflict.