Statement of AHRC on Mass Deportation of Afghan Migrants from Iran
Iranian security forces frequently arrest and deport migrants indiscriminately—without verifying whether individuals are documented or undocumented, students or laborers, former military personnel or
The Afghanistan Human Rights Center expresses its deep concern and solidarity with the deported migrants regarding the intensifying, indiscriminate, and degrading mass deportation of Afghan migrants by the Islamic Republic of Iran. This trend, which has escalated in recent days following the tragic events in Iran triggered by the aggressive attack of the Zionist Israeli regime on Iranian soil—and the possible unknowing involvement of a small number of Afghan migrant laborers in transporting military equipment—has raised serious alarms.
We are deeply troubled by this process, which is carried out without adherence to fundamental human rights principles, international law, refugee protection standards, human dignity, and the rights of vulnerable populations and documented migrants. The deportations are conducted without lawful organization, humane considerations, or due process, thereby endangering the lives and dignity of thousands, including women, children, the elderly, the sick, civil society activists, and former military personnel.
According to field reports and credible sources, Iranian security forces frequently arrest and deport migrants indiscriminately—without verifying whether individuals are documented or undocumented, students or laborers, former military personnel or ordinary civilians—and without legal review or the opportunity to appeal. While some may attempt to justify these actions in light of the exceptional and wartime circumstances, what is truly concerning is the widespread public outrage among the Afghan people. Even a number of Iranian citizens, writers, and civil society activists have expressed dissatisfaction with these actions and shown sympathy toward the Afghan population.
Afghan migrants have been subjected to humiliating and violent treatment, including physical abuse, confiscation of property, and racially or nationally motivated insults. Families who have lived in Iran for years—many of whom have children born on Iranian soil—are now being forcibly evicted and pressured to return to unsafe environments such as Afghanistan. These actions not only violate the principles of good neighborliness and the cultural, historical, civilizational, and Islamic-religious bonds between the two nations, but also constitute a blatant breach of Iran’s international obligations under the 1951 Refugee Convention, the principle of non-refoulement, and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
Those deported back to Afghanistan often face catastrophic conditions: extreme poverty, lack of basic services including shelter, financial resources, and employment opportunities, as well as political persecution, life-threatening risks from the Taliban regime, and widespread insecurity and deprivation. The indiscriminate and forced return of migrants under such circumstances represents a clear disregard for their rights to life, security, and dignity.
Therefore, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center is an independent and non-partisan body, urgently calls on the Iranian authorities and the Office for Migrants and Refugees to take the following immediate actions:
Immediate halt to arbitrary and forced deportations, and implementation of fair and legal procedures for assessing the status of migrants, especially those legally residing in Iran.
Provision of access to essential legal and humanitarian services for both documented and undocumented migrants—including water, food, healthcare, education, and adequate shelter—until their status is determined and appropriately addressed.
Intervention by international and domestic bodies, including Iranian and Afghan institutions, UNHCR, and the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, to monitor, support, and intervene in the process of mass deportations—especially in the case of legal migrants who now live in constant fear of expulsion.
Diplomatic engagement by the international community with the Iranian government to foster understanding of the migrant situation, ensure respect for human dignity, and hold Iran accountable for abusive and degrading treatment.
Solidarity and collaboration between Iranian and Afghan intellectuals, writers, media professionals, civil society members, and community leaders to seek mutual understanding, de-escalate tensions resulting from the current conflict in Iran and the situation in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan, and to advocate for the rights and dignity of Afghan migrants.
Civil society actors, media professionals, political elders, writers, poets, academics, and scholars all have a vital role to play in this matter.
Finally, the Afghanistan Human Rights Center emphasizes that Afghan migrants are victims of systemic war, organized violence, poverty, and tyranny. Their migration is not a “crime,” but rather a human and legal right, as recognized by international documents and treaties. Therefore, discriminatory and violent treatment of migrants is a dark stain on the history of bilateral relations and a grave warning to the conscience of humanity.
Afghanistan Human Rights Center (AHRC)
Date: 03 July 2025
