More than 410, 000 Afghan refugees and migrants have been pushed out of Iran since the 12-day conflict with Israel ended on June 24. This is not the end of the wave.
More than 1.5 million Afghan refugees , and migrants have been sent back in 2025, according to the United Nations ‘ International Organization for Migration (IOM), while the Red Cross says more than one million people more could be sent back by the end of the year.
Afghans have been a regular visitor in Iran for a long time. After the war with Israel that resulted in the deaths of more than 1, 000 Iranians, many of whom were civilians, it has now increased its efforts to unprecedented levels.
Iran has also been building a wall along its massive eastern borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan to stem the flow of irregular migration, and smuggled drugs and fuel.
A national migration organization would take over its efforts to combat irregular migration, according to the parliament’s plans.
“I’m afraid,”
“I feel like we’re being singled out because we’re easy targets and don’t have many options”, said Ahmad*, a 27-year-old undocumented Afghan migrant who came to Iran four years ago.
Before being hired as the custodian of an old residential building in Tehran’s western district, he had to perform manual labor and construction tasks.
Because he cannot have an account in his name, he receives the equivalent of $80 per month from Iran’s highly devalued currency at the current rate, which is wired to his bank card.
He has a small spot where he can sleep in the building and tries to send money to his family in Afghanistan whenever possible.
“I don’t really leave the building because I’m afraid I’ll be returned,” I said. He told Al Jazeera, “I don’t know how long I can live this way.”
Vahid Golikani, who heads the foreign nationals ‘ department of the governor’s office in Tehran, told state media last week that undocumented migrants must not be employed to protect local labour.
According to Mai Sato, UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran, daily returns, which include expulsions and voluntary returns, have increased significantly since the start of the war.
She joined four other special rapporteurs who spoke out against the Thursday mass elections, adding their voices to those of Amnesty International and other rights organizations.
“Afghanistan remains unsafe under Taliban rule. These widespread returns violate international law, and they put the lives of vulnerable people at risk of persecution and violence, especially minorities and women, Sato said.
alleged security dangers
Authorities and state media have said undocumented immigrants may pose a security risk, alleging that some of them were paid by Israel to carry out tasks inside Iran.
Although a few unidentified imprisoned Afghans have confessed to state television, their numbers do not appear to be comparable to those of the expulsions.
The televised confessions featured men with covered eyes and blurred-out faces saying they had sent photographs and information online to anonymous handlers linked with Mossad.
As the government works to increase the legal penalties for spying, hundreds of Iranians have been detained on suspicion of working for Israel, and several others have been executed in recent weeks.
We don’t have a single migrant from Afghanistan among the Israeli spies, according to Mohammad Mannan Raeesi, a member of parliament from the ultraconservative city of Qom, in a state television interview last week.
He pointed out that some Afghans have fought and died for Iran, and that attempts to expel irregular arrivals should avoid xenophobia.
economic strains
Prior to the most recent wave of forced returns, Iranian authorities estimated a staggering 6.1 million Afghan refugees and migrants, with many speculating that the actual figure was much higher.
Only about 780, 000 have been given official refugee status by the government.
A government that spends billions annually on hidden subsidies on necessities like fuel, electricity, and bread for everyone in the country has to take a toll on supporting millions of refugees and migrants, both regularly and irregularly.
Some Iranians have complained about the economic impact of hosting millions of Afghans unchecked after the Taliban’s chaotic invasion of Afghanistan since 2021.
Amid increasing hostility towards the Afghan arrivals over the past years, local newspapers and social media have increasingly highlighted reports of crimes like theft and rape allegedly committed by Afghan migrants. No official data on these crimes, however, has been made available.
Popular hashtags in Farsi on X and other social media platforms that refer to the returns as “national demand” have not stopped some Iranians from cheering on the mass returns, along with a large number of anonymous accounts online.
Again, there are no reliable statistics or surveys that show what portion of the Iranian population backs the move, or under what conditions.
After returning from Iran, some depressed migrants claimed security forces had beaten or humiliated them while loading them onto border crossing buses.
Others claimed they were subsequently deported after only wearing the clothes on their backs and were unable to receive their final checks, savings, or downpayments for their rented homes.
Some of those with legal documentation have not been spared, as reports emerged in recent weeks of Afghan refugees and migrants being deported after having their documents shredded by police.
Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni and government spokeswoman Fatemeh Mohajerani have both stated that the government only seeks undocumented immigrants.
Over 70% of those who were deported voluntarily came forward, according to Momeni, adding that the government set a deadline for early July departure. “Those instances have been investigated,” Momeni said last week.
“I can tell that the people are very angry.”
A number of other restrictions make life difficult for Afghans who continue to live in Iran.
They are barred from entering dozens of Iranian cities. Their work permits may not be renewed annually, or the renewal fees may be unexpectedly raised. They are unable to purchase real estate, cars, or SIM cards for their cell phones.
They are seldom given citizenship and face difficulties in getting their children into Iranian schools.
Zahra Aazim, a 22-year-old Iranian-born teacher and video editor, claimed she had not fully experienced the restrictions that accompany living in Iran for Afghans until a few years ago.
Her family immigrated to Iran about 45 years ago, shortly after the country’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, which overthrew the country’s ruling theocracy.
“What really bugs me is the fact that I was born in Iran, and my family has been living here for over four decades, but I’m still unable to get something as basic as a driver’s licence.
She told Al Jazeera, “Not to mention important documents like a national ID card or an Iranian birth certificate.”
By law, those documents are reserved for Iranian nationals. If their mother is Iranian or if they are married to an Iranian man, applicants from other countries may apply.
Aazim claimed that Iran’s regulations have only increased over time. But things took a sharp turn after the war, and she has received hundreds of threatening or insulting messages online since.
Other Afghan-origin friends in Iran have been telling me that this is no longer a place where we can live, she said.
After the war, a friend called me with the same message. I thought she meant she’s thinking about moving to another country or going back to Afghanistan. Her only option was never [taking her own life,” I never imagined.
Aazim also claimed that her 23-year-old brother was detained by police after being arrested on suspicion of espionage and later released.
The incident, along with videos of violence against Afghans that are circulating on social media, has made her feel unsafe.
“I can tell that even some of my Iranian friends are angry with the Iranian people. You start looking for those at lower levels to blame when you can’t speak out against those in power above, she said.
” I’m not saying don’t take any action if you have security concerns about Afghan migrants … I just wish they would treat us respectfully.
Respect is unrelated to geography, ethnicity, or nationality.
Source: Aljazeera
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