The Role and Influence of Social Media in Shaping Afghan Refugees’ Repatriation Decisions

Saad Zakariya

Authors

Saad Zakariya Ph D Scholar, Department of History, Government College University, Faisalabad, Punjab, Pakistan. Author

Keywords:

Afghan Refugees, Pakistan, Repatriation, Social Media, Misinformation, Digital Migration, Diaspora Networks, Humanitarian Communication, Refugee Decision-making, Forced Return

Abstract

For over 40 years, the repatriation of Afghan refugees has been a major topic in discussions about humanitarian issues and policies in South Asia. While decisions about returning to Afghanistan have often been shaped by political uncertainty, insecurity, and unstable economic situations, the rapid rise of social media has introduced a new factor into this process. This article explores how Afghan refugees in Pakistan and Iran use digital platforms, specifically Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, WhatsApp, and TikTok, to obtain information about repatriation and how this interaction affects their decision-making. The study employs descriptive statistical analysis to evaluate perceptions of social media's role in refugee returns, based on a purposive survey of 50 postgraduate students from Quaid-i-Azam University and the National Defence University who have studied Afghan refugees academically. According to research, social media is a crucial information source as well as a contested area where misinformation, diaspora advocacy, and trust-building all influence refugee decisions at the same time. The paper makes the case that understanding the informational ecosystems in which refugees function is crucial to creating more successful repatriation plans, guaranteeing safety, and reducing the dangers of false information.

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Akhter, S., & Kusakabe, K. (2014). Gender-based violence among documented Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh. Indian Journal of Gender Studies, 21(2), 225–246.

AP News. (2025, June 28). At least 1.2 million Afghans forced to return from Iran and Pakistan this year, says UN. Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/ea3fd1f9b995e4f97d8584718cea058d

Ahmed, S., Farid, A., & Ashraf, S. (2021). Climate Change: Implications and Policy Recommendations. Pakistan Languages and Humanities Review, 5(2), 170-180.

Ashraf, S. (2021). Geopolitics of Climate Change: US and China are Reciprocal Contenders. Journal of Development and Social Sciences, 2(3), China-Climate.

Castells, M. (2009). Communication power. Oxford University Press.

Chouliaraki, L., & Georgiou, M. (2019). The digital border: Mobility beyond territorial and symbolic divides. European Journal of Communication, 34(6), 594–605.

Dekker, R., Engbersen, G., Klaver, J., & Vonk, H. (2018). Smart refugees: How Syrian asylum migrants use social media information in migration decision-making. Social Media & Society, 4(1), 1–11.

Farid, A., & Ashraf, S. (2025). Water Security in South Asia: How Indo-Israeli Technological Cooperation Shapes the Future of the Indus Waters Treaty. Pakistan Social Sciences Review, 9(2), 456-476.

Farid, A. (2023). Recalibrating Stability: Israel–India Defense Ties, US Enablers, and Pakistan’s Crisis vs Deterrence Balance (1992–2022). Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 4(3), 936-948.

Gillespie, M., Ampofo, L., Cheesman, M., Faith, B., Iliadou, E., Issa, A., Osseiran, S., & Skleparis, D. (2018). Mapping refugee media journeys: Smartphones and social media networks. The Open University/European Commission.

Harrell-Bond, B., & Voutira, E. (2007). In search of ‘invisible’ actors: Barriers to access in refugee research. Journal of Refugee Studies, 20(2), 281–298.

Katz, E., Blumler, J. G., & Gurevitch, M. (1974). Utilization of mass communication by the individual. In J. G. Blumler & E. Katz (Eds.), The uses of mass communications: Current perspectives on gratifications research (pp. 19–32). Sage.

Khonsari, S. (2024, September 28). The role of social media in the amplification of disinformation and hate speech against Afghan refugees in Iran: Challenges and mitigation strategies. Preprints.org. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202410.0102.v1

Leurs, K. (2020). Digital migration studies: The role of digital media in the lives of migrants. International Migration Review, 54(2), 438–466. https://doi.org/10.1177/0197918319897132

Majidi, N., & Hennion, C. (2019). Resilience in displacement? Building the potential of Afghan refugees for return. Samuel Hall/International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Sandvik, K. B., Jacobsen, K. L., & McDonald, S. M. (2017). Do not harm: A taxonomy of the challenges of humanitarian experimentation with digital technology. International Review of the Red Cross, 99(904), 319–344.

UN Geneva. (2025, August 5). UNHCR urges Pakistan to stop forced returns of Afghan refugees. United Nations Office at Geneva. https://www.ungeneva.org/en/news-media/news/2025/08/109246/unhcr-urges-pakistan-stop-forced-returns-afghan-refugees

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2021, August 24). Announcement on circulation of misinformation on social media about resettlement – UNHCR Iran. https://www.unhcr.org/ir/2021/08/24/new-announcement-of-resettlement/

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2025a). Afghanistan: Operational data portal. UNHCR Global Focus. https://reporting.unhcr.org/operational/operations/afghanistan

United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. (2025b). Afghanistan emergency. UNHCR. https://www.unhcr.org/ir/afghanistan-emergency/

Wall, M., Campbell, M. O., & Janbek, D. (2017). Syrian refugees and information precarity’s. New Media & Society, 19(2), 240–254.