KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Iranian government has defended its ongoing mass deportation of Afghan migrants, calling the policy both a public demand and an economic necessity.
Fatemeh Mohajerani, the government’s spokesperson, said during a press briefing on Wednesday that managing the presence of foreign nationals is essential for stabilizing Iran’s heavily subsidized economy.
“This is an important issue that reflects the will of the people,” Mohajerani told reporters, as quoted by the state-run IRNA news agency. “Given that a significant share of our economy operates on subsidies for basic goods like energy and bread, organizing the status of foreign nationals is critical for economic regulation.”
Iran has significantly accelerated expulsions of Afghan migrants in recent months, particularly after escalating tensions in the region, including Tehran’s confrontation with Israel.
According to Iranian officials, the campaign targets undocumented individuals; however, numerous reports indicate that people with valid passports, visas, and even temporary residency permits are among those being forced out.
Human rights organizations and advocacy groups report that deported families frequently endure harsh treatment during arrest and transportation. Many returnees have alleged humiliation, verbal abuse, and physical mistreatment by Iranian security forces.
There are also widespread claims that migrants have been denied access to retrieve personal belongings, and in some cases, Iranian employers and landlords have refused to settle wages or return housing deposits before deportation.
Earlier this year, the Iranian government invalidated census cards previously issued to nearly two million Afghan citizens, which had provided a semi-legal status. This move effectively stripped hundreds of thousands of migrants of any official protection and opened the way for large-scale removals.
Iran hosts one of the world’s largest populations of Afghan migrants, estimated at over five million, including both documented and undocumented individuals, according to the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR). The forced returns have surged since late 2023, with officials at Afghanistan’s western border reporting the daily arrival of tens of thousands of deportees. Many are families with young children, arriving destitute and without adequate shelter or means of survival.
The crackdown comes amid what rights activists describe as growing anti-migrant sentiment in Iran, fueled by economic hardship and political rhetoric portraying Afghan refugees as a burden on national resources.
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called on Iran to halt mass deportations, warning that returnees face dire conditions in Afghanistan, including widespread poverty, lack of jobs, and security risks.
