Decades of war have created a large number of Afghan refugees forced to flee in fear of reprisal for their political or religious views, with little hope of returning while the conflict continued. Many left during the Soviet Invasion of 1979, primarily to Iran and Pakistan. As of 2001, there were about 5 million Afghan refugees in Pakistan, including included those born there, and an additional 2.4 million in Iran, a total equaling nearly 30% of the remaining Afghan population. Since 2002, however, more than 5 million Afghan refugees have been repatriated by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), leaving an estimated 2.7 million, most of them exiled since 1979 and facing complex reintegration challenges if they return.

Those forced to relocate to Afghan Refugee Camps because of the ongoing instability or extreme drought conditions are called Internally Displaced Persons (IDP). Such camps typically offer substandard living conditions and are primarily supported by foreign humanitarian aid NGOs. Accurate census data for IDPs in Afghanistan isn't available because of the ongoing chaos, but as of 2007, the CIA estimated that there were about 132,000 Afghans living in such camps.  

The UNHCR is the global arbiter for refugee matters and has deemed Afghans living outside their country because of the continuing conflict for at least 2 years to be eligible for relocation. Each year, nations willing to accept refugees establish quotas by global region, and the UNHCR fills the quotas in cooperation with the world refugee populations.  Many Afghan refugees have resettled in Europe to make better, more peaceful lives for their families, and others have chosen to resettle in the US.  Afghans have been immigrating here since the 1920's, and it's estimated that between those who have chosen to immigrate, and those who have been resettled as refugees, there are as many as 300,000 Afghan Americans, who are concentrated primarily in Northern Virginia and the San Francisco Bay area.