Afghan expulsions are ramping up in Iran. Over 256,000 Afghans have been deported since early June, and according to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), on June 25 alone, more than 28,000 crossed the border back into Afghanistan. “The expulsions of undocumented Afghans are a recurring phenomenon, but they are currently experiencing a notable peak.” According to the Samuel Hall Migration Research Centre, which has been documenting the situation of Afghans since 2010, this increase coincides with the end of the 12-day military conflict between Israel and Iran. Researchers at the centre suggest that this timing indicates a politically motivated crackdown by Iranian authorities under the guise of national security.

During the war with Israel, Iranian officials publicly accused several Afghan nationals of spying for the Jewish state. On June 18, an Afghan student was arrested in Tehran, accused of possessing files related to drone and bomb manufacturing on his phone. A few days later, state media broadcast alleged confessions from four other Afghans, despite forced confessions being a widespread and condemned practice in Iran, notably by Amnesty International in its reports on torture. “Although unverified, these allegations were followed by intensified arrests and deportations,” noted the Samuel Hall centre.

Afghan Women Sent Back to the Taliban

Among the Afghans expelled in recent weeks are entire families and young women. The UN has expressed concern over this “new and worrying trend”: in May, Tehran deported twice as many Afghan families as in April. Until now, Iran had mainly deported young men.

At the Islam Qala border post, Hajjar Shademani, a young Afghan woman expelled with her three siblings, recounted to AFP the police raid on their home in Shiraz before being forcibly returned to a country they had never seen. She now wonders what will become of her in a country “where we have absolutely nothing.”

More critically, she knows that with this return, she has lost a precious right: the right to study, in the only country in the world that bans girls from attending school beyond the age of 12. “I love studying,” she said in English. “I really wanted to continue, but I don’t think I can in Afghanistan.”

After the peak in June, the number of daily returns fell to between 6,000 and 7,000, according to the UN and Taliban authorities. However, a resurgence is expected soon, as Tehran announced last month that it would give “until July 6” for millions of undocumented Afghans to leave its territory.

Scapegoats

According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), nearly 3.8 million Afghan migrants—both legal and undocumented—resided in Iran in 2024. Iranian authorities, however, estimate there are around 6 million Afghans on Iranian soil, including those born in Iran.

An advisor to the Interior Minister, Nader Yarahmadi, stated that over 1.2 million Afghans had already been expelled between March 2024 and March 2025. Tehran believes it has shouldered a disproportionate burden in hosting Afghan refugees.

In a context of an economic crisis marked by inflation exceeding 30% since 2020, Iranian authorities cite the inability of public services and the economy to cope with migratory pressure.

But amid these economic and social tensions, Afghan migrants are increasingly becoming scapegoats. Growing poverty and inequalities are pushing parts of Iranian public opinion, the government, and media to “demonize Afghans who work for meagre wages without social security,” noted Iranian sociologist Simin Kazemi, affiliated with Shahid Beheshti University, in the Financial Times.

Le Monde newspaper has reported a massive spread of anti-migrant misinformation in official media and on social networks, fuelling racism against Afghans. “Afghans are accused of stealing jobs, while Iranian employers prefer them because they are not covered by labour laws,” says Simin Kazemi.

Precarious Jobs, Limited Rights

Yet Afghan workers have significantly contributed to Iran’s economy, holding precarious jobs in construction, agriculture, factories, and municipal services. “The departure of Afghans could cause numerous problems for the country’s economy,” said France 24 and RFI correspondent Siavosh Ghazi.

Since the Taliban's return in 2021, many refugees, especially former security forces members, have sought refuge in Iran. Some fare slightly better thanks to family networks already established there, but most live undocumented and in precarious conditions, according to the Samuel Hall centre. “They are not officially integrated into Iranian society, and the majority live without papers, often renting homes informally,” their researchers state.

Afghan women are particularly vulnerable to discrimination, with limited access to healthcare. Afghan children face administrative barriers to formal education in Iranian schools, while families often live in overcrowded housing.

Tehran has also planned to build a barrier along its 900-kilometer border with Afghanistan. The Iranian army claimed in September 2024 to have constructed about ten kilometres of it.

Afghanistan, for its part, is not prepared to absorb returns on such a scale, warns the Samuel Hall centre. “Without international support and investments in reintegration systems, this wave of expulsions risks overwhelming local capacities, worsening humanitarian conditions, and destabilizing communities across the country.”Bas du formulaire

See, Après la guerre avec Israël, l'Iran expulse des milliers d'Afghans - See also Iran uses Israeli bombings to speed up Afghan expulsions

Photo. Afghan refugees at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran on June 28, 2025, following their expulsion from Iran. © AFP, Wakil Khowsar