Afghan Migrants Not Linked To Enemy Spies, Says Former Iranian Diplomat

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.

The delegation, which departed for Doha on Saturday, includes representatives from the Taliban’s Ministries of Public Health, Interior, Foreign Affairs and Agriculture. They will participate in the third meeting of the Counter-Narcotics Working Group and the second meeting of the Private Sector Support Working Group.

The meetings are scheduled to take place on Monday and Tuesday, 30 June and 1 July 2025, and are part of ongoing efforts to address key issues in Afghanistan through international dialogue.

Qatar’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Alya Ahmed bin Saif Al-Thani, previously confirmed her country would host the meetings. She said the sessions would include representatives from the Taliban government, countries involved in the Doha Process, and international experts.

These working-level meetings follow the third official Doha Process conference, held last summer, which also saw participation from a Taliban delegation led by spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid.

In a recent statement, the Government of Qatar reiterated its commitment to Afghanistan’s future, emphasising its role in coordinating international efforts and facilitating dialogue between the UN, regional stakeholders, and the Taliban authorities.

The Doha Process, launched in the aftermath of the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, has re-emerged as a key diplomatic platform for regional and international engagement on Afghanistan.

According to the commission, 5825 of the deportees entered Afghanistan via the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province, while another 3482 returned through the Pul-e Abrisham crossing in Nimruz.

In a statement, the Taliban said nearly 1000 of the returnees were transferred to the northern provinces of Badakhshan, Takhar, Kunduz, Baghlan, Balkh and Sar-e Pul. It added that a total of 12,158,000 Afghanis in assistance was distributed among the deported migrants.

Independent sources previously told Afghanistan International that approximately 16000 Afghans were deported on Friday and around 13000 on Saturday. On 26 June alone, an estimated 36000 individuals were expelled.

Since the ceasefire between Iran and Israel, Iranian authorities have significantly increased deportations of Afghan migrants. Reports indicate that more than 110000 Afghans have been returned from Iran in recent weeks.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for the Taliban, said in an interview with the state-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) that ISIS has been “suppressed” and no longer operates within Afghan territory.

His remarks came in response to statements by Yury Kokov, deputy secretary of Russia’s Security Council, who said Moscow remains deeply concerned about ISIS’s intentions in Afghanistan. According to Kokov, the group aims to use Afghan territory to infiltrate Central Asian nations and Russia itself.

Despite Fitrat’s assurances, Kokov reiterated that Afghanistan continues to pose a source of instability and a threat to neighbouring countries.

While Russia maintains diplomatic and limited economic ties with the Taliban-led government, it remains wary of extremist groups and arms trafficking spilling over into Central Asia, a region viewed by Moscow as a strategic buffer zone.