Following the 12-day war between Iran and Israel, Tehran has intensified the mass deportation of Migrants who are from Afghanistan. According to reports, thousands of individuals have been forcibly expelled from Iran daily in the past week. Many deportees have expressed concerns about the treatment they received from Iranian police and some Iranian citizens. They report that their belongings and assets remain in Iran upon deportation. According to them, even those with valid visas face harsh treatment from the police and are expelled from the country. Returnees state that Iranian police in detention camps treat them inhumanely, confiscating their phones and money, using abusive language, and subjecting them to physical assault. Meanwhile, many Afghan citizens criticize the Iranian government’s behavior, noting that with the influx of migrants, taxi drivers, public transport operators, landlords, and hotel owners have raised prices, exploiting the dire situation of the deportees. Additionally, sources interviewing returnees daily at the Islam Qala border report harrowing and distressing accounts of the difficult conditions faced by deported refugees from Iran. According to these sources, Iranian police in camps have even made sexual demands of some women and insulted them.
A widely circulated video on social media shows a young man, tearfully recounting mistreatment by Iranian military forces, accusing them of abusive behavior. He says, “I had a visa and passport; they took my passport and tore it up. They smashed my phone and beat me for four days. They took everything from us. I sold my wife’s earrings to get a passport and visa.”
Another individual forcibly deported from Iran says, “I was expelled from Qom. The officers [Iranian police] arrested me. I had an Afghanistan Electronic ID card, which they took. They also took our cash, saying they would return it at the police station. They arrested us from our workplace, took our money and ID card, and crushed them under their vehicle’s tire.”
Numerous videos of returnees have also surfaced, in which they complain about the harsh treatment by Iranian police and some Iranian citizens. These individuals accuse the Islamic Republic of Iran of xenophobia and inhumane behavior toward migrants. They say that landlords and employers have refused to pay their wages or return their money, after which the police deported them empty-handed, accompanied by humiliation and insults.
In another widely shared video on social media, a man with a choked voice says, “They didn’t pay our rent deposits and deported us.”
Another returnee, complaining about the treatment by Iranian police in detention camps, says, “When you enter the camp, every officer [Iranian police] rushes toward you, demanding four or five million [currency unspecified]. They insult us. Employers didn’t pay us, and we were deported in this condition.”
Meanwhile, a student says, “Even if you have an annual residency permit, you’re a student, but you still have to run around from morning to night. They block SIM cards. You can only understand these things when you live in Iran. This situation creates resentment, but some things are left unsaid.”
A source who interacts with deportees and speaks daily with dozens of them told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that the overall situation of returned migrants is truly alarming and indescribable. According to the source, among the deportees are individuals who have lived in Iran for fifty years, dedicating their lives to building homes and livelihoods there, but are now being deported empty-handed, with nothing in Afghanistan.
The source says, “I speak daily with people who have absolutely nothing in Afghanistan—nothing. No family, no resources. All their possessions remain in Iran. Most of them are worried about their children’s future education and employment.”
The source, who regularly speaks with deportees, adds, “Another serious issue is the psychological harassment by Iranian police at the border and in camps. Recently, a ten-year-old girl was deported, as well as a sister and brother who had no one in Afghanistan. When a ten-year-old girl is sent back to Afghanistan with no relatives or shelter, what can she possibly do?”
The source continues, “Iranian soldiers take money from deportees at the border and even make sexual demands of women in the camps. This is truly painful and shocking. Another concerning issue is that I’ve spoken with people who studied in Iran over the past ten years, but their academic credentials have been invalidated and are no longer recognized.”
Meanwhile, many residents of Herat Province say that with the return of large numbers of migrants, commodity prices have risen, and house rents have doubled. According to them, in addition to the pressure of forced deportation, some individuals are exploiting the situation by arbitrarily increasing prices.
The widespread deportation of migrants from Iran has sparked significant reactions among Afghan citizens, particularly active social media users. Some have criticized those who previously supported the Islamic Republic during the Iran-Israel war, questioning why they are now silent about the mass deportation of migrants. Others argue that neighboring countries, including Iran and Pakistan, have never sought the well-being of Afghanistan and have oppressed its people whenever possible.
Following the 12-day war with Israel, Iran has been deporting thousands of citizens of Afghanistan daily at an unprecedented rate. These individuals had sought refuge in Iran due to widespread poverty, unemployment, Taliban reprisals, and fear of arrest or killing by the group. Videos showing the massive influx of refugees at the Islam Qala border, according to many citizens, evoke bitter memories of the days when Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.
These concerns arise as the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported yesterday that, in the past week, 88,308 undocumented migrants were deported from Iran to Afghanistan. According to the organization, only 11 percent of these individuals received assistance.
You can read the Persian version of this report here:
