Iran Expels Over 1 Million Afghans In 100 Days, Says Tehran Governor
More than one million Afghans have been expelled from Iran over the past 100 days, including 400,000 from Tehran province alone, Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said Saturday.
More than one million Afghans have been expelled from Iran over the past 100 days, including 400,000 from Tehran province alone, Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian said Saturday.
Speaking at a press conference, Motamedian said the figure includes both voluntary returnees and migrants who were arrested and deported by security forces.
The governor described the number of deportations during this period as significant, noting that last year about 220,000 Afghan migrant students were enrolled in schools in Tehran province. Following the implementation of the deportation plan, that figure has fallen to 80,000.
He said roughly 6,000 classrooms that had been allocated to migrant students are now available to Iranian pupils without the need for additional school construction.
According to Motamedian, about half of all Afghan migrants in Iran were living in Tehran province. The process of identifying undocumented migrants began with the start of President Masoud Pezeshkian’s administration, he said.
Deported Afghans have reported that Iranian police have detained and expelled them despite holding valid residency documents, including visas. Some have alleged that deportations were carried out with violence.
The expulsions are ongoing, and several international organisations have condemned the mass return of Afghan migrants from Iran as a violation of international law.
