Iran Begins Deporting Afghan Migrants Holding Census Cards As Services Are Withdrawn

He issued the warning during a meeting of the Council of Defence Ministers of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) held on Wednesday in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Belousov highlighted the growing risk of infiltration by these groups into CSTO member states and beyond, calling Afghanistan the principal source of terrorist threats to the region. While he did not name specific organisations, he claimed that foreign fighters from the Middle East are increasingly entering Afghanistan and other Central Asian nations.

In remarks reported by Russian state media outlet TASS, Belousov also criticised Western geopolitical strategies, accusing Western countries of attempting to orchestrate Russia’s strategic defeat and placing undue pressure on CSTO members.

He said that the military-political situation in CSTO-controlled territories remains tense, with increasing challenges facing member states. The Russian defence minister added that western countries continue to pursue their agenda of weakening Russia and destabilising Moscow’s allies.

The CSTO, comprising Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan, has grown increasingly concerned about the presence of extremist groups such as ISIS and regional radical groups based in Afghanistan. These concerns have prompted member states to cautiously increase engagement with the Taliban, despite the group lacking formal recognition.

In a notable shift, Russia’s Supreme Court earlier this year approved the Prosecutor General’s request to remove the Taliban from its official list of terrorist organisations, a move signalling Moscow’s pragmatic approach to regional security.

In response to mounting security challenges, the CSTO has stepped up military cooperation across the region. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the organisation has conducted several joint military exercises in Tajikistan. Plans are also underway to begin supplying weapons and military equipment to bolster security along the Tajik-Afghan border beginning in 2026. This effort will be rolled out in three stages over a five-year period.

Russian President Vladimir Putin also addressed the issue during a March 2025 meeting in Moscow with Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, affirming that Russia cannot remain indifferent to the threats emanating from Afghanistan.

In an official statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry referred to the Taliban envoy at least three times as the "representative of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan", a title that has not been used by the country since the Taliban's takeover in 2021.

On Tuesday, 27 May, the ministry announced that Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum, Director of the Ministry in Dubai, had received Fida’s credentials during a meeting with the Taliban representative.

"Sheikh Maktoum bin Butti Al Maktoum welcomed the Consul General and congratulated him on his appointment, wishing him success in his duties, and commended the strong political, economic, commercial, and investment ties between the United Arab Emirates and the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan," the statement read.

The phrasing has raised questions, as the Taliban refer to their administration as the "Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan." The UAE, like most nations, has not formally recognised the Taliban government.

Mohammad Amir Tawasoli, a former Afghan military pilot, took his own life on Sunday, May 18, 2025, after receiving an order to leave Iran. The incident underscores the intense psychological pressure and constant fear experienced by former Afghan soldiers in the country, Nasresfahani told Shargh newspaper in an interview published Monday.

“These individuals live in perpetual anxiety due to the threat of deportation,” Nasresfahani said, noting that many avoid the Afghan embassy in Tehran out of fear of being identified by the Taliban or forcibly returned to Afghanistan.

The situation has worsened following a recent decision by Iran’s Ministry of Interior to invalidate census cards held by approximately two million Afghan migrants. This policy has stripped legal status from many former soldiers who initially entered Iran with valid documentation. A six-month deadline for undocumented migrants to leave Iran has further heightened their uncertainty.

Nasresfahani warned that repatriation poses severe risks for former Afghan soldiers, citing reports of returnees particularly ex-military personnel facing trials in makeshift Taliban courts or execution at the Afghanistan border. “The Taliban have blacklisted individuals suspected of harming or killing their members,” he said, adding that repatriated soldiers face potential “torture, imprisonment, deprivation, and even death.”

Many former soldiers now live in hiding in Iran without valid residency documents, fearing forced return. Nasresfahani urged the Iranian government to adhere to international conventions and treat at-risk Afghan migrants, particularly former military personnel, with humanity. “The cancellation of census cards has severely undermined the mental and physical security of those attempting to rebuild their lives after the fall of Kabul,” he said.

He also criticised domestic political and media narratives that portray Afghan military personnel as a national security threat, arguing that such perceptions have driven Iran’s security-centric approach rather than a humanitarian or legal one.

Iran has announced plans to deport all migrants lacking valid residency documents. However, migration rights activists warn that implementing these measures without regard for the unique circumstances of refugees, especially former soldiers, could lead to severe and irreversible humanitarian consequences.

Nasresfahani called for policies that prioritise the safety and rights of Afghan migrants, particularly those at risk of persecution if returned to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

On Wednesday, May 28, 2025, sources reported that the Taliban instructed table football clubs to remove the heads of the player figures to continue the game. Failure to comply will result in a complete ban.

The Taliban have not issued an official statement on the prohibition.

Over the past four years, the Taliban government has increasingly restricted or banned various games and recreational activities in Afghanistan. Earlier, the Taliban’s sports authority suspended the Afghan Chess Federation, declaring chess “haram” (forbidden).

According to official data, over 40 million litres of gasoline and fuel were exported to Afghanistan between January and March. This represents a more than 100-fold rise compared to the same period in 2024, when the total value of exports to Afghanistan stood at just $212,000. By contrast, this year’s figure reached $18.5 million, with most of the fuel reportedly shipped to the northern Afghan province of Kunduz.

Kyrgyz media, citing the statistical committee, reported that Afghanistan accounted for more than 90 percent of Kyrgyzstan’s total gasoline exports during this period. Uzbekistan was the second-largest recipient, importing 2.5 million litres valued at $1 million.

The average export price was around $0.50 per litre. Media sources also clarified that none of the exported gasoline originated from Russia. Under a bilateral agreement between Bishkek and Moscow, fuel imported from Russia at preferential rates is strictly reserved for domestic use and cannot be re-exported.

In addition to fuel, Kyrgyzstan has been exporting other essential goods to Afghanistan, including flour, cooking oil, cement, and metal construction materials. Trade between the two countries is not one-sided: Kyrgyzstan also imports approximately 200,000 units of goods from Afghanistan each year, including dried fruits, nuts, textiles, carpets, and handicrafts.