The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has condemned Iran’s mass deportation of Afghan migrants, calling the expulsions, and the reported abuse that accompanies them, a violation of international law and basic human dignity.
In a statement issued Sunday, the anti-Taliban political-military group said Afghan asylum seekers in Iran face discrimination, arbitrary arrest and forced return even as the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan remains dire.
“The repression of ethnic groups, religious minorities and the absence of the rule of law under Taliban rule leave returnees with no guarantee of safety or dignity,” the statement said, adding that any deportations under current conditions constitute a breach of human rights.
The AFF noted that millions of Afghans have fled the country since the Taliban seized power in August 2021, driven by insecurity, political persecution and the loss of civil liberties.
Calling on Iran and other Muslim-majority neighbours to honour both their legal obligations and their religious duties to protect refugees, the group urged the United Nations and the wider international community to take “urgent, concrete and effective” steps to safeguard Afghan migrants.
The statement comes amid a sharp rise in expulsions: the International Organization for Migration reported that more than 88000 undocumented Afghans were returned from Iran during the week of 19–25 June, straining already limited aid resources at the border.
