Iran Launches Second Phase of Deportations

Iranian authorities have begun the second phase of a plan to deport undocumented Afghan migrants from Baharestan, a suburb of Tehran.

Figures from the Taliban-run refugees commission show that Iran deports almost 1,000 migrants on a daily basis since early September, which has reduced from thousands of daily deportations, The Caspian Post reports citing foreign media.

According to the General Directorate for Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs in Tehran, more than 450,000 undocumented Afghans have been returned from the province since the start of the plan. Iranian officials refer to these individuals as “unauthorized foreign nationals.”

Authorities claim that about 70 percent of the returns have taken place “voluntarily,” a characterization that rights groups and Afghan families have previously contested, citing reports of forced evictions and harsh detention conditions.

The deportation campaign comes amid increasing pressure on Afghan migrants in Iran, where economic challenges and political tensions have fueled public resentment. Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have crossed into Iran to escape conflict, poverty, and persecution.

Mohammad Reza Babaei, governor of Yazd province, recently stated that resolving what he called the “problem of Afghan migrants” depends on controlling Iran’s eastern borders. He also called for improved infrastructure to process migrants and establish accommodation centers in border provinces.

Iran hosts one of the largest populations of Afghan refugees in the world, with estimates ranging from 3 to 5 million, many of whom lack legal documentation and face increasing risk of deportation.

UN agencies and human rights organizations have repeatedly called on Iran to halt mass deportations and ensure protections for vulnerable migrants, including women and children.