The International Organization for Migration has announced that 60% of Afghan returnees from Iran are returning involuntarily, while the remaining 40% are doing so voluntarily.
In a report expressing concern over the increasing forced returns and expulsions of Afghan migrants from Iran, the organization stated that from January 2023 to July of this year, approximately 1.7 million Afghans returned to their country from Iran, with most being expelled.
The report noted that during this period, 841,521 returnees from Iran received assistance from the International Organization for Migration.
It continued: “The International Organization for Migration and its partners once again urge all countries to immediately halt the forced return of Afghans, both in the short term and long term.”
The International Organization for Migration emphasized that until conditions are ensured for the “safe, dignified, and voluntary return of Afghan migrants” from regional countries, these countries should stop detaining and expelling them.
Additionally, Abbas Stanikzai, Deputy Political Minister of the interim government’s Foreign Ministry, stated that Afghan migrants in Iran face many challenges and called on Iranian officials to treat migrants with “compassion and kindness.”
Mr. Stanikzai said during a meeting in Kabul on Sunday (October 15) that some media outlets and individuals in Iran are spreading false information against Afghan migrants.
He expressed that this is being done to harass Afghan migrants in Iran, saying: “Our request from the government and leadership of Iran is to act with Islamic compassion and brotherhood and respect the rights of neighbors.”
The Deputy Political Minister added that Afghan migrants in Iran are “not a burden on the Iranian government,” as they work in various fields and contribute to the development of Iran today.
Meanwhile, some Afghan migrants in Iran have reported that Iranian police detain hundreds of individuals daily from various parts of the country and expel them after a period of detention.
They claim that Iranian police even enter the residences of Afghan migrants at night to harass them.
In a recent statement, Ahmad Reza Radan, the commander of Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces, reiterated the emphasis on the forced expulsion of migrants from the country, stating that by the end of the current Iranian year, two million undocumented migrants are expected to be expelled from Iran.
Mr. Radan, in an interview with an Iranian television station, gave a deadline for undocumented migrants to return to their countries by the end of this year.
