HERAT – More than 711,000 Afghan migrants have returned from Iran over the past month, according to the Taliban-run Committee for Refugee Affairs in Herat.
The majority of the returnees crossed into Afghanistan through the Islam Qala border crossing in western Herat province, a key entry point for migrants coming from Iran.
Ahmadullah Muttaqi, the Taliban’s Director of Information and Culture in Herat and spokesperson for the refugee committee, stated that of the total number, over 417,000 were forcibly deported by Iranian authorities, while approximately 294,000 returned voluntarily.
He said the committee is providing basic assistance to returnees, including bread distribution, cash support, temporary shelters, transportation to home provinces, and health services.
Muttaqi further noted that nearly 684,000 migrants have already been transported to their original provinces through coordinated services. Additionally, efforts are underway to allocate residential plots for returnees, and the authorities are working with relevant organizations to facilitate sustainable resettlement and long-term support.
The mass return and deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran is not new but has intensified significantly in recent months, particularly following the escalation of tensions in the Middle East after the Iran-Israel conflict.
Analysts say Iran, grappling with its own economic and social challenges, has been accelerating the expulsion of undocumented Afghan migrants, many of whom fled Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021.
The return comes at a time when Afghanistan is already facing a worsening economic and humanitarian crisis. With limited job opportunities, rising poverty, and widespread food insecurity, the influx of hundreds of thousands of returnees is putting additional pressure on already strained resources.
The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that these mass deportations are creating a “new emergency” in the country. In a recent statement, the mission said that humanitarian agencies and Afghan authorities are struggling to manage the surge and that additional international funding is urgently required to meet the basic needs of the returnees, especially in areas where they are resettling.
According to UN estimates, millions of Afghans are living in poverty, and the sudden return of such a large number of people risks exacerbating displacement and instability in the country.
