Up To 35000 Afghans Deported Daily From Iran, Says Taliban Deputy PM

Dawood Naji, head of the political committee of the Afghanistan Freedom Front, and Ali Maisam Nazary, head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front, both criticised the Taliban’s ongoing crackdown on women, calling it part of a wider campaign of repression.

In recent days, the Taliban have detained dozens of women and girls from various areas across the capital. The group has not issued any formal response to the growing domestic and international criticism regarding the detentions.

Naji, in a statement on social media, said the Taliban’s actions had exceeded the limits of human, religious, and cultural norms. He criticised those remaining silent, suggesting that inaction equates to complicity. He called for reflection on how much further such repression can be tolerated.

Nazary also responded to the arrests, describing them as only a small part of the broader suffering inflicted on Afghan women under Taliban rule. He linked the current situation to the Taliban’s systematic exclusion and targeting of women.

He further stated that regional and international actors have failed to address the root causes of Afghanistan’s humanitarian crisis, warning that as long as the Taliban remain in control, Afghan women will continue to seek safety and a better life abroad.

Local sources in Dasht-e Barchi reported that officers from the Taliban’s Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and Prevention of Vice carried out the arrests on Friday, and Saturday.

According to eyewitnesses, women were taken from multiple locations, including 20-Metre Road, Barchi City Centre, and two minivans in Rasalat Alley. Witnesses also reported that Taliban enforcers used force during the arrests and that no female officers were present.

The location of the detainees remains unknown, and families have expressed growing concern over their well-being.

This marks the second such operation within days. On Wednesday, nearly 100 young women were detained in the Shahr-e Naw area of Kabul. Local sources reported that women were taken from streets, markets, and hospitals and transferred to Taliban-run detention centres. Most of the women were reportedly in compliance with Islamic dress codes at the time of arrest.

Footage obtained by Afghanistan International shows women visibly distressed and surrounded by Taliban enforcers during the raids. Some of those detained were released after spending one night in custody, following written guarantees submitted by their families.

The latest arrests coincided with reports of Taliban morality police conducting inspections at restaurants in the Shahr-e Naw district on the same day.

The Taliban has not issued an official statement regarding the reason for the detentions.

In the wake of the arrests, the Afghanistan Freedom Front announced that the Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue would now be considered a legitimate military target. Former Afghan officials and political leaders have also condemned the arrests, describing them as unlawful and a violation of basic rights.

Dozens of Afghan families were reportedly detained and taken into custody.

The arrests follow a recent increase in deportations of Afghan nationals from Pakistan, including journalists and civil society activists.

Sources in Islamabad told Afghanistan International that B-17 township is home to a number of former Afghan employees who previously worked with US forces in Afghanistan. Among those detained were women, children, and individuals with medical conditions.

The crackdown comes amid the suspension of visa renewals and extensions for Afghan nationals. Many migrants in Pakistan now face an uncertain legal status, as their visas have expired and new permits are no longer being issued.

The growing pressure on Afghan migrants has raised concerns among international observers, as families fear arrest and forced return to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. Human rights organisations have warned that such deportations could expose returnees to serious risks, including violence and persecution.

Pakistan’s Interior Ministry has signalled that a new and accelerated phase of deportations is imminent, with no plans to extend the legal stay of undocumented Afghans.

The United Nations and humanitarian groups have issued repeated warnings that mass deportations are exacerbating poverty and hunger among Afghan returnees. According to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, nearly two million Afghans have been expelled from Iran and Pakistan over the past seven months.

The visit comes amid a sharp rise in deportations from Iran and Pakistan, which have returned nearly two million Afghans over the past seven months, according to international reports.

The Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said its Deputy Minister for Finance and Administration, Kaleem-ur-Rahman Fani, welcomed Grandi at Kabul International Airport. The two officials held discussions on the conditions of returnees and the broader challenges surrounding the deportation process.

Taliban officials emphasised the immediate and long-term needs of returnees, including access to emergency assistance, healthcare, education, and shelter.

The UN has raised increasing concern over the mass deportations, warning of the humanitarian and human rights implications, particularly for vulnerable groups.

The visit by the UN refugee chief follows broader international calls for the suspension of forced returns, citing instability and lack of basic services in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

The incident occurred on the evening of Friday near the centre of Maimana, the capital of Faryab province. According to local sources, the attackers opened fire on Bandari and fled the scene immediately after the shooting.

Bandari had recently returned to Afghanistan through the Taliban’s Commission for the Return of Expatriates. He had been residing in Ghor province in recent months but travelled to Faryab last week at the invitation of the Taliban governor.

Following the fall of the former Afghan government in 2021, Bandari had fled to Iran. He later returned to the country through the Taliban’s formal repatriation programme.

The Taliban has not yet commented on the assassination. Further details about the incident remain unavailable.