Over 70 Percent Of Afghan Migrants Are Being Forcibly Deported, Says Iranian Official

Speaking on Monday at an event marking the 52nd anniversary of the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Dar emphasised that regional cooperation, especially through economic diplomacy, remains central to Pakistan’s foreign policy.

“In collaboration with China, a trilateral mechanism involving Afghanistan has been established to reframe our relations with Kabul in a constructive and forward-looking manner,” Dar said.

He highlighted his 19 April 2025 visit to Kabul and the China-Pakistan-Afghanistan Trilateral Ministerial Meeting held on 20 May 2025 in Beijing as significant steps towards fostering regional stability and cooperation.

Dar also confirmed that Pakistan has agreed to extend the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) into Afghanistan, a move he described as part of broader efforts to promote regional connectivity and economic integration.

“Having made sincere efforts in Afghanistan’s interest, it is our legitimate expectation that the Afghan Interim Government will take all necessary steps to ensure that Afghan soil is not used for terrorism against any country, especially Pakistan,” he said.

The foreign minister concluded by reaffirming that a peaceful, stable, united and prosperous Afghanistan is in Pakistan’s “vital national interest.”

Hossein Jamshidi, governor of Taybad district in northeastern Iran, said on Sunday, 29 June, that more than 95000 Afghans had been identified across 11 provinces and deported via the Dogharoun border crossing with Afghanistan.

Jamshidi, who visited the border to oversee the return process, told reporters that approximately 8000 Afghans are being returned daily. “Undocumented Afghan nationals identified across the country are returned to Afghanistan through the Dogharoun border after legal procedures,” he said, adding that 250 buses are used daily to transport migrants.

He claimed that more than 90 percent of those deported had “voluntarily” left Iran. However, that assertion contradicts reports from human rights organisations and international bodies, which cite growing pressure and an intensifying wave of forced deportations.

While Iranian authorities insist that only undocumented migrants are being removed, numerous Afghan migrants, including those with valid passports and visas, have reported being detained and expelled. Testimonies collected by rights groups and media outlets also allege cases of violence, mistreatment, and the confiscation of personal belongings by Iranian security forces.

The deportations come amid a sharp increase in returns of Afghan migrants from Iran, with international agencies warning of a deepening humanitarian crisis at Afghanistan’s borders.

Rasoul Mousavi, former Director General for South Asian Affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, wrote in an article published by a domestic Iranian outlet that Afghan migrants are “not aligned with enemy spies” and should not be treated as security threats.

“Managing issues related to Afghan migrants in Iran requires a patient, precise approach based on human dignity,” Mousavi stated.

His remarks follow a wave of arrests during Iran’s recent 12-day conflict with Israel, during which several Afghan nationals were detained on allegations of collaborating with Israeli intelligence. Iranian state media released footage of two Afghan men purportedly confessing to ties with Israel, though the conditions under which the video was recorded remain unclear.

In the aftermath of the ceasefire with Israel, the Iranian government significantly accelerated deportations of Afghan migrants, with returns reaching unprecedented levels.

Mousavi, a veteran diplomat with extensive experience in Afghan affairs, emphasised the longstanding cultural and religious ties between Afghans and Iranians. “As someone who has long been involved with Afghanistan and knows many Afghans personally, I can say with confidence that their hatred for Israeli spies and the enemies of Iran and Muslims is no less than ours, if not greater,” he wrote.

He urged Iranian authorities to carefully differentiate between genuine security threats and the broader undocumented migrant population. “There is a clear distinction between spies and those linked to enemy intelligence services, and ordinary Afghan migrants who have no connection to such activities,” he said.

Avand Azeez Agha, a spokesperson for the IOM, told Agence France-Presse (AFP) that the total number of returnees from Iran since January has now surpassed 691000. He added that more than 70 percent of those returned were forcibly deported.

The IOM warned that a sharp decline in foreign aid, coupled with the rising volume of deportations, has severely limited its ability to assist returnees. The organisation said it has been able to provide support to only 3 percent of those sent back from Iran in recent weeks.

The surge in deportations comes amid growing international concern over the treatment of Afghan migrants in neighbouring countries and the worsening humanitarian crisis inside Afghanistan.

During a meeting in Ankara on Sunday, 29 June, the activists told UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett that women and girls in Afghanistan face systematic violations, including domestic violence, forced and child marriages, harassment, arbitrary arrest and torture. They said human-rights defenders, civil-society activists and journalists are also being targeted.

The group, which campaigns for human and women’s rights from outside Afghanistan, voiced additional concern over the recent surge in deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran, Pakistan and Türkiye, warning that returning women are at particular risk.

Bennett, the UN special rapporteur on the human-rights situation in Afghanistan, has previously reported that some impoverished families are marrying off daughters to avoid forced unions with Taliban members. He has said Afghan women now endure “multiple layers” of gender and ethnic discrimination.

The activists urged Bennett to push for stronger international mechanisms to document abuses and hold perpetrators to account, arguing that without sustained scrutiny, violations will continue with impunity.