KABUL (SW) – A number of Afghan migrants in Iran say that with the rise in anti-migrant sentiment in the country, both documented and undocumented migrants are being expelled.
Ferdows, an Afghan migrant in Iran, said that pressures on Afghan migrants have intensified in recent months. “Even those with passports are unable to travel; the office that renews passports is currently closed. If the police catch us, they either expel us or demand money. If we don’t pay, they beat us.”
Aziz, another Afghan migrant in Iran, says that Afghans are living in fear of arrest these days. “If the police catch us, they beat us; if we pay money, they release us; otherwise, they expel us. There is no place left for Afghans anywhere in Iran.”
These Afghan migrants add that they came to Iran due to the lack of job opportunities in Afghanistan, and now working in Iran has also become difficult for them.
Hadiya, who migrated to Iran after completing her bachelor’s degree, expressed concern about the increasing pressures in the country. “I studied in Afghanistan and came to Iran to find work, but life here has become very tough, and pressures are increasing with each passing day.”
Ali Reza Deliri, the police commander of Sistan and Balochestan, recently stated that in the past seven days, 1,494 migrants have been detained in these two provinces.
Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Monday that these migrants are citizens of various countries.
Talebi Mohammadzai, an expert on migration issues, says that increasing pressure on Afghan migrants is not a solution, and the problem must be addressed through diplomatic means. “Two million undocumented migrants are living in Iran; if they face forced expulsion, it will be challenging for both countries. This concern should be resolved by addressing the issue of unemployment,” he said.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also announced that in the first week of September, 50,639 Afghan nationals have traveled back from Iran and Pakistan.
