KABUL (SW) – In a troubling trend, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) reports that over 230,000 individuals have returned to Afghanistan from Iran in the past month, coinciding with a rise in the forced deportation of Afghan migrants.
According to the organization’s statistics, 50% of the returnees left Iran voluntarily, while 43% were forcibly detained and expelled by Iranian police.
Many Afghan returnees have recounted experiences of violence and mistreatment during their deportation.
Nasratullah, who was forcibly returned just few days ago and is currently in Herat, said that Iranian security personnel detained him at his workplace before expelling him. “Suddenly, officers entered the company, took all of us, and treated us poorly; they beat us,” he said. “There’s no work in our country; if there were jobs, why would we go to another country? They insult us and beat us there too,” he added.
Zabiullah Mohammadi, who lived in Iran for eight years with his family before being expelled, explained that he initially went to Iran seeking work amid economic hardships. However, his return has brought him back to the same challenges of unemployment and poverty. Now residing in Nimruz, he said that his children cannot attend school due to the lack of a valid electronic ID.
“Unfortunately, the educational environment is not conducive; the children are not going to school. The healthcare situation is somewhat better, but still lacks sufficient support for children and patients,” he said.
Habibullah, another recently expelled individual, mentioned that he was detained at his workplace while his family remained in Iran. Now in Herat, he expressed concern for his family’s well-being: “My family is still there, and I came alone. I was the sole breadwinner; now I don’t know what to do. The situation in Iran is very bad; they harass and trouble us. Going back doesn’t seem like a solution.”
Abdul Karim, who also recently returned from Iran, cited economic struggles as his reason for going there, only to find himself facing the same dire circumstances upon his return. He alleged that Iranian security officers extorted money from them in detention camps and on the way back.
“They took a lot of money from us in the camp and treated us cruelly. We were sent back twice before finally reaching the border,” he said.
According to Iranian state media, Afghans make up 90% of foreign residents in Iran, most of whom entered the country without proper travel or residency documentation.
Attempts to obtain comments from officials at the Ministry of Repatriations and Refugees (MoRR) and the Afghan embassy in Tehran were unsuccessful despite repeated calls.
