KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Iran is expelling between 200 and 250 Afghan migrants each day, according to Behnam Nazari, the Deputy Governor for political, security, and social affairs in Central Province.
In an interview with the Iranian news agency IRNA, Nazari highlighted a significant change in the deportation process: previously, expelled migrants’ biometric data was not recorded, but now all individuals are registered at camps upon arrival and departure.
Nazari explained that Afghan migrants are taken to the Ibrahim Abad camp in Arak after their arrest, and those without identity cards are subject to deportation. He emphasized that ongoing efforts to identify, arrest, and expel migrants are integral to the government’s strategy.
The influx of Afghan nationals into Iran has surged in recent years, impacting Central Province. Currently, around 60,000 legal foreign nationals with electronic identity cards reside in the province, while an estimated 10,000 to 12,000 undocumented individuals are believed to be living there without proper identification.
Since the Taliban took control in August 2021, tens of thousands of people fled to Iran to escape retaliation, instability, and economic collapse. The UNHCR reports that 2.6 million Afghan refugees have arrived in Iran in recent years.
A recent UNHCR report highlights that Afghanistan is among the top three countries with the highest number of refugees, asylum seekers, and internally displaced persons. Of the 108.4 million people displaced globally, 5.7 million are from Afghanistan.
In recent months, the Iranian government has escalated the detention and deportation of Afghan migrants, forcibly returning hundreds to Afghanistan each day. Over 700,000 migrants returned to Afghanistan since the beginning of the year.
The head of the Iranian Police has stated that the country plans to expel up to two million Afghan migrants this year.
