Over One Million Afghan Migrants Deported, Says Iranian Interior Minister
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, has announced that since the beginning of this year, approximately 1.1 million Afghan migrants have been deported to Afghanistan.
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, has announced that since the beginning of this year, approximately 1.1 million Afghan migrants have been deported to Afghanistan.
He added that estimates indicate 50 percent of these individuals have since returned to Iran.
On Saturday, Momeni stated in an interview with Iran’s state television that the country no longer has the capacity to host Afghan migrants and is implementing various measures, including border closures, to prevent the entry of unauthorised migrants.
He reported that at least six million foreign nationals reside in Iran, with at least two million of them being undocumented. Stressing the necessity of deporting undocumented migrants, he asserted that there is no alternative to their expulsion.
Iran’s Interior Minister further highlighted that foreign aid for refugee support has significantly decreased and claimed that many job opportunities for Iranians have been taken by migrants.
In addition to accelerating the deportation of Afghan migrants, the Islamic Republic has banned their presence in several Iranian cities and has criminalised the employment of undocumented migrants.
Several leaders of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan met with a delegation from the Global Peace Foundation US in Ankara on Saturday.
Senior members of the council, including Abdul Rashid Dostum, Mohammad Mohaqiq, Almas Zahid, and Basir Anwar, attended the meeting.
One of the participants told Afghanistan International that researchers from the foundation discussed the resumption of Afghanistan's peace process with the leaders of the National Resistance Council. He added that the council leaders presented their positions regarding peace talks and national reconciliation in the country.
Mohammad Mohaqiq, one of the attendees, stated that they provided the American delegation with explanations about the objectives behind forming the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan. According to him, the council was established to pave the way for intra-Afghan peace negotiations under the supervision of the United Nations, with the participation of all relevant countries.
Mohaqiq, quoting the American delegation, wrote that “for the past three years, the issue of Afghanistan had been forgotten in President Biden’s administration, and discussing it was against the prevailing policies of the time.”
According to Mohaqiq, the American delegation mentioned that Donald Trump’s administration had included Afghanistan’s peace process in its agenda and had a deep understanding of the suffering and challenges faced by the Afghan people.
The American delegation stated that the new administration is determined to stand by the Afghan people and work towards achieving real peace and forming an inclusive government.
Some key leaders of the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, such as Yunus Qanooni, Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, and Atta Mohammad Noor, were absent from the meeting.
Previously, sources told Afghanistan International that some leaders of the National Resistance Council were set to meet with a delegation from Pakistan’s intelligence agency in Türkiye. However, Khalid Pashtun, a spokesperson for the council, denied that the meeting took place.
The Pakistani government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, has approved a new phase of mass deportations targeting Afghan refugees and migrants.
According to a document obtained by Afghanistan International, a meeting chaired by Sharif on Wednesday, 31 January, finalised the decision to expel Afghan refugees from the country.
As per the document, Pakistan's Ministry of Interior is responsible for the initial phase, during which Afghan citizens without official residence documents, along with holders of the Afghan Citizen Card (ACC), will be deported from Islamabad and Rawalpindi to Afghanistan. The exact number of undocumented migrants and ACC cardholders remains unknown.
The ACC is issued to Afghans recognised as legal migrants in Pakistan, serving as proof of their lawful status in the country.
Second Phase and PoR Cardholders' Status
The document outlines that in the second phase, the status of holders of the Proof of Registration (PoR) card will be reviewed. The Pakistani federal cabinet has granted PoR cardholders permission to stay in Pakistan until 30 June 2025. However, despite this allowance, they too will be expelled from Islamabad and Rawalpindi.
Around seven months ago, Sharif’s office reported that approximately 1.45 million Afghans with PoR cards were residing in Pakistan.
The PoR card is granted to Afghans who participated in Pakistan’s refugee registration programme and have official refugee status. PoR cardholders are recognised as registered refugees and, in some cases, have access to specific services and facilities in Pakistan.
Fate of Afghans Awaiting Resettlement in Western Countries
Afghan citizens awaiting resettlement in third countries will be deported from Islamabad and Rawalpindi by 31 March 2025.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, thousands fled to neighbouring countries, seeking resettlement in a third country. Many remain in limbo as they await the completion of this process.
Shehbaz Sharif has directed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to liaise with Western consulates in Islamabad to facilitate the transfer of these migrants. If no arrangements are made, they will also be deported to Afghanistan.
During the meeting, it was decided that Pakistani authorities must ensure that deported refugees and migrants do not return to Pakistan.
Additionally, the document states that Pakistani intelligence agencies must closely monitor the implementation of the deportation plan and regularly report to the Prime Minister’s office.
Response from the UN Refugee Agency
Meanwhile, the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) has acknowledged the Pakistani government’s directive requiring all Afghans holding ACC cards to leave Islamabad and Rawalpindi and return to Afghanistan immediately.
The agency has also confirmed its awareness of the planned deportation of PoR cardholders.
Expressing concern over these developments, the UNHCR has warned that non-compliance with these directives could result in the arrest and deportation of refugees to Afghanistan.
The UNHCR stated that it is seeking further clarification on Pakistan’s deportation programme and reaffirmed its commitment to ongoing discussions to support Afghan refugees and migrants.
Last year, the Pakistani government deported approximately half a million Afghan citizens.
The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) has asserted that the Taliban has no legal right to access billions of dollars allocated for Afghanistan, as the group is not recognised as the legitimate government and remains subject to sanctions.
In its latest report, released on Friday, SIGAR noted that former U.S. President Donald Trump and Congress may place approximately $4 billion of Afghanistan’s allocated budget under the “custody and control” of the United States.
In 2022, the U.S. government transferred $3.5 billion of Afghanistan’s central bank assets into a Swiss escrow account. According to SIGAR, the balance of this account has since grown to around $4 billion.
Although no payments have been made from the fund to directly benefit the Afghan people, the account was established to safeguard and stabilise Afghanistan’s economy.
The Taliban has repeatedly demanded that the United States return the funds to Afghanistan’s central bank. However, SIGAR maintains that the group has no legal claim to these reserves, as the U.S. does not recognise it as the legitimate government.
Additionally, SIGAR highlighted that the Taliban remains designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) group by the U.S. and is subject to both U.S. and UN sanctions.
The SIGAR report follows the Trump administration’s recent decision to suspend foreign aid—except for assistance to Israel and Egypt—for 90 days. The U.S. State Department has stated that it is reviewing all foreign aid to ensure alignment with Trump’s foreign policy objectives.
Since its withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the United States has spent nearly $3.71 billion in the country, with a significant portion directed to UN agencies. SIGAR also reported that approximately $1.2 billion remains under review and could be disbursed in the future.
While U.S. humanitarian assistance may have prevented famine following Afghanistan’s economic collapse, SIGAR states that it has failed to stop the Taliban from taking American citizens hostage, suppressing women’s and girls’ rights, censoring the media, turning Afghanistan into a “terrorist haven”, and targeting former Afghan government employees
Despite the Taliban’s severe restrictions and governance failures, the United States remains the largest foreign donor to Afghanistan. The report also alleges that the Taliban collects taxes on a significant portion of foreign aid and misuses another portion for its own benefit.
The human rights organisation Hengaw has reported that the Islamic Republic of Iran executed at least 87 prisoners in January 2025, including eight Afghan citizens. The report notes a 17.5 percent increase in executions compared to the same period last year.
On Saturday, 1 February, Hengaw revealed that among those executed, 17 were Kurdish, 10 Lur, and 4 Baloch prisoners. The organisation further stated that only three of the 87 executions have been officially confirmed by the Iranian government.
Hengaw, which operates outside Iran, also disclosed that six of the executions were conducted in secret, without notifying the prisoners’ families or allowing them a final visit.
According to the report, the charges against those executed included: 35 prisoners convicted of drug-related offences. 50 prisoners found guilty of “premeditated murder” and two individuals accused of “rape”.
The United Nations Human Rights Office previously reported that at least 901 people were executed in Iran in 2024, including 31 women.
Khalid Pashtoon, spokesperson for the National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, has denied reports of a meeting between the council’s leadership and a high-ranking delegation from Pakistan’s intelligence agency.
Speaking to Afghanistan International, Pashtoon clarified that while no such meeting had taken place, the council remained open to dialogue if Pakistan were to send a delegation focused on “peace and improving conditions in Afghanistan.”
Earlier, sources had informed Afghanistan International that a senior delegation from Pakistan’s intelligence agency was scheduled to meet former Afghan officials and jihadist figures in Istanbul. The reported meeting was expected to include prominent figures such as Abdul Rashid Dostum, Salahuddin Rabbani, Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, Mohammad Mohaqiq, and Karim Khalili.
According to these sources, the discussions aimed to strengthen Pakistan’s engagement with opposition groups to the Taliban and explore the possibility of reopening their political offices in Islamabad.
However, Pashtoon dismissed these claims, asserting: “If Pakistan wants to meet with the Resistance Council, it is a form of engagement, and such meetings should not be considered wrong or sinful.”
Referring to the differing perspectives within Pakistan’s government and military, Pashtoon noted that while the Pakistani government opposes the Afghan Taliban, “Pakistani military personnel are present in Kabul and Kandahar, advising Taliban ministries.”
He also confirmed that the council’s leadership had recently met with a delegation of U.S. peace researchers in Ankara, Türkiye, though he refrained from disclosing details of the discussions.
Since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, Pakistan has repeatedly accused the group of harbouring Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants. However, the Taliban has consistently denied these allegations, maintaining that Afghan territory will not be used against any country.