A number of Iranian civil society organisations advocating for children’s rights have issued a joint statement calling for an immediate halt to the government’s crackdown on Afghan migrants.
The groups warned that Afghan migrants particularly children are facing discrimination, psychological distress and hate speech, and now live in fear of forced expulsion.
“The discrimination against Afghan refugees, particularly children, has a long history in Iranian state policy,” the statement said. “Over the past three years, Afghan children have endured immense psychological pressure, from daily violence and systemic exclusion to waves of hate speech in the media that have made their lives increasingly difficult.”
The organisations cautioned that the deportation policy targets not only two million undocumented migrants, but also an estimated two million who possess census registration papers.
“Children who once had hope for a future are now confronted with the nightmare of returning to Afghanistan, a country under Taliban rule, where they face no security, no education and no dignified life,” the statement said.
Activists warned that fear and anxiety are now widespread among migrant children. They added that the threat of losing access to education, the risk of forced marriage, especially for girls, and an uncertain future in a country plagued by poverty, unemployment and insecurity are exposing children to serious emotional and psychological harm.
The organisations also noted that since 2023, the Islamic Republic of Iran has gradually restricted educational and health services for migrants in an attempt to pressure them to leave. This began with the exclusion of undocumented children from the school system, a reversal of progress made in 2016.
Girls’ schools in Afghanistan remain closed under Taliban orders. Activists stressed that for many Afghan girls, deportation would mean the permanent end of their education.
The child rights organisations condemned the actions of the Iranian government as a clear violation of national and international child rights laws and inconsistent with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, to which Iran is a signatory.
“No policy should come at the cost of a child’s health, dignity or future,” the statement said.
The organisations called on the Iranian government to immediately halt the mass deportation plan and to respect the rights of migrant children.
