Iran Reports Sharp Rise in Afghan Migrants Returning Amid Intensified Crackdown

Iran Reports Sharp Rise in Afghan Migrants Returning Amid Intensified Crackdown
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Iranian authorities say the number of Afghan migrants leaving Tehran voluntarily has risen by nearly 70 percent compared with last year, Amu TV reported. Vahid Gholi-Kani, director general for foreign nationals and immigrants in Tehran, stated that more than 470,000 undocumented Afghans have come forward to return home so far this year, a significant increase from the roughly 350,000 recorded during the same period in 2023, according to state media.

Gholi-Kani said the government has expanded its campaign through pilot operations in districts near the capital, including Qods County, where migrants are being registered and processed in round-the-clock facilities. While officials characterize the departures as voluntary, international rights groups and UN agencies have warned that many returns occur under coercion, driven by mounting pressure and worsening living conditions.

Iran continues to classify undocumented Afghan migrants as “unauthorized foreign citizens,” and Gholi-Kani stressed that efforts to remove them from Tehran will continue until government objectives are met. Broader enforcement measures targeting undocumented migrants are also being implemented nationwide.

Iran hosts one of the region’s largest Afghan refugee and migrant populations, many of whom fled conflict or economic hardship. Rights organizations have repeatedly called on Tehran to halt deportations and provide stronger safeguards, particularly amid Afghanistan’s ongoing humanitarian crisis under Taliban rule.