Iran plans to deport around two million undocumented Afghan migrants

Kabul, Aug 18 (IANS) Amid rising regional pressure on refugees, Iran is planning to deport around two million undocumented Afghan migrants, the authorities in Tehran said on Monday while assuring that the process will follow legal procedures with dignity.

Iran's Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni said that a new programme is underway to send back around two million undocumented Afghans to their homeland with "dignity and respect," leading Afghan news agency Khaama Press reported.

Speaking to reporters in Mashhad on Monday, Momeni said the first phase will focus on undocumented Afghans who came to Iran with no legal document. He stated that over six million Afghan nationals currently reside in Iran, noting that managing such a large population needs serious national and international cooperation.

He stressed that the programme should not be considered anti-immigrant and stated that each nation has its own laws and regulations regarding foreign nationals. He further stated that the National Migration Organisation will oversee the process, ensuring that all returns are sent back to Afghanistan as per legal procedures and with respect for human dignity.

Momeni stated that majority of Afghan nationals are expected to leave through the Khorasan Razavi border, which has for long been a crossing point between the two nations. Iranian minister's announcement comes as Pakistan prepares to start its own repatriation campaign for Afghan migrants, set to begin in September.

Humanitarian groups have expressed concerns over mass deportations from Iran and Pakistan, saying that it could cause a severe crisis, as people who have returned to their homeland face poverty, unemployment, and restrictions under Taliban rule.

On August 17, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) warned that its funds are depleting as 2.2 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan and Iran and called for urgent aid amid worsening poverty and dire humanitarian crisis.

The UNHCR warned that its budget is running out amid mass expulsion of Afghan refugees from Iran and Pakistan. In a statement on August 17, the UNHCR called for urgent international aid to sustain its operations supporting Afghan returnees. Since the start of 2025, over 2.2 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan, according to UNHCR. The UN mentioned that poverty and unemployment in Afghanistan are rising sharply, with over half of the people reliant on humanitarian assistance for survival.

--IANS

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