Amid the ongoing escalation of forced deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran, a surge in xenophobic sentiment has been reported in the media and social networks. Multiple videos depicting the torture and mistreatment of Afghan asylum seekers by Iranian police have surfaced. These videos, coupled with hate speech from some Iranian citizens on social media, have sparked widespread reactions among the people of Afghanistan. Concurrently, residents of Herat have expressed concerns about an escalating humanitarian crisis and the potential for a major catastrophe in the city. The arrival of thousands of deported migrants in Herat has strained local resources, raising fears of shortages in shelter, food, and drinking water. Social media images show that Herat’s parks have become living spaces for deported migrants.
Deported migrants report that Iranian police detain them at workplaces without regard for human rights, transfer them to camps, and deport them with threats, extortion, and humiliation. These migrants confirm that their money and belongings remain with employers or landlords, leaving them deported empty-handed.
Xenophobic sentiment and hate speech against Afghan asylum seekers in Iran have long been a prominent issue in the media. Recently, following the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, a large-scale forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran to Afghanistan has commenced. According to international organizations, up to 30,000 migrants have been deported daily on some days.
Afghan social media users have widely shared a video of an Iranian woman making derogatory and hateful remarks against Afghan migrants. Users cite this video as a clear example of “hate speech” by Iranians against Afghanistan’s citizens.
In the video, the Iranian woman addresses migrants, saying: “I’ve come to talk to Afghans: For 45 years, we gave you refuge, paid free subsidies, stood in bakery lines to get two loaves while you took fifty. For 45 years, we gave your children our school seats, but you didn’t respect neighborly rights; you turned against us. You killed our loved ones during the 12-day war. Why are you so heartless, shameless, and dishonorable? Your nature and behavior are savage. Your religious leaders insult us, you’re conscienceless and dishonorable. You didn’t respect our hospitality. Get lost quickly. We no longer want to shelter you.”
Another video circulating on social media shows Iranian police forcibly detaining an individual, reportedly an Afghanistan citizen, brutally beating them, throwing them into the back of a vehicle, and torturing them.
In another video, an elderly, frail man says, “My wife and daughter are still in Iran. I went to the bakery to get bread, and the police threw me into a vehicle. I’ve been wandering for days and nights with no money to contact my wife.”
Yet another video features a young man, trembling and tearful, addressing Iranian officers and authorities: “We consider you Muslims, neighbors, and brothers; please don’t commit such injustices against the people of Afghanistan.” His intense sobbing has elicited significant reactions.
In a further video, a young girl, her voice filled with tears, says: “Living in Iran is very hard. When I was at school, they insulted me constantly and always abused me. No one should live in Iran; it’s too hard. They called me filthy for coming to Iran.”
Deported Afghan migrants from Iran report mistreatment and torture by Iranian police, as well as humiliation and insults from some Iranian citizens, emphasizing that the behavior of most Iranians toward them has been inhumane and racist. In one video, a man shows his child, asleep on their mother’s shoulder, with a wound on their face caused by a punch from Iranian police.
The death of a migrant named Mohammad Baqir due to torture by Iranian police in detention camps has sparked widespread outrage on social media, with users accusing Iran and its police of hate speech and xenophobia.
Dozens of videos depicting the dire conditions and harrowing scenes of deported migrants from Iran have been shared on social media. These videos highlight an environment of torture, suppression, and derogatory treatment by some Iranian citizens, particularly military and security forces, toward Afghan migrants.
In one video, a man says, “A person died, but no one cares. Iranian police kicked the dead body. Spend five minutes in an Iranian camp, then judge the situation. I can’t speak; I’m overcome with tears. I lived in Iran for 20 years, my belongings and life were left behind, and I had legal documents. They don’t accept the documents and told me they’re worthless as you are.”
Humanitarian Crisis and Taliban Indifference
Volunteers in Herat warn that the province is on the brink of a major humanitarian catastrophe. However, the Taliban not only shirk responsibility for addressing the needs of deported migrants but also claim credit for aid provided by organizations, charities, and individuals, telling returnees that these efforts are their own. According to activists, in the past week, most Herat residents, particularly shopkeepers, traders, and trade unions, have played a significant role in providing aid, supplying food, and covering transportation costs for migrants to return to their provinces. However, due to the scale of the crisis, they are overwhelmed and stress the need for a nationwide collective response.
A volunteer in Herat, speaking anonymously to the Hasht-e Subh Daily, says: “Herat’s parks are filled with migrants, and rent prices have skyrocketed. Many migrants cannot afford rent or return to their areas. Managing this crisis is beyond Herat’s residents, and a national strategy is needed, or Herat will drown in a humanitarian disaster.”
Herat’s media and cultural activists, who have played a key role in aid efforts and mobilizing public support, warn, citing residents, that the Taliban regime must set aside prejudices and use available government resources to manage the crisis. They also emphasize that residents of other provinces must support the migrants.
In addition to Herat’s efforts, prominent national traders and activists from other provinces, particularly residents of Anardara in Farah, Ghoris living in the province, and some Faryab residents, along with dozens of charitable organizations from other provinces, have stepped in to assist with transporting migrants to their destinations.
In the latest development, the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) has warned that the increasing forced deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran have triggered a new humanitarian crisis in western Afghanistan. Jacopo Caridi, head of the council’s Afghanistan office, said during a visit to the Islam Qala border crossing: “Over the past three weeks, nearly 400,000 migrants have returned from Iran, with about 40,000 arriving daily.” He stressed that most lack shelter and necessities, and aid organizations cannot address this massive influx.
Arafat Jamal, a representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Afghanistan, recently warned that up to three million migrants may return from neighboring countries to Afghanistan this year. He emphasized that the return of migrants from Iran and Pakistan, particularly under unprepared and harsh conditions, has sparked a new humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. Jamal added that the UN is witnessing a “massive, chaotic, and humiliating” exodus of Afghan asylum seekers from Iran and Pakistan.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
از شکنجه تا همبستهگی؛ نفرت مهاجرستیزان ایران و ایستادهگی هراتیان
