TEHRAN — Tehran’s governor, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, estimated that between two to three million Afghan migrants currently reside in the city, making Tehran Iran’s most migrant-populated province, according to Iranian news outlets.
“One of the key issues the Interior Ministry is seriously pursuing under the 13th government is the regulation of foreign nationals,” Motamedian said. He noted that the number of Afghan arrivals in Iran surged following the collapse of Afghanistan’s previous government in 2021, creating what he described as “uncontrolled migration flows.”
“The recent events in Afghanistan have led to a significant influx of migrants, which has raised concerns among the public due to the large population of undocumented migrants now in the province,” he added.
Iran and Pakistan, Afghanistan’s neighboring countries, have consistently urged the return of Afghan migrants, even as the migration continues to strain local resources. In recent months, some Afghan migrants deported from Iran have alleged mistreatment by Iranian police, reporting cases of beatings and arrests during work, which they say has left families in Iran, including women and children, without support or resources.
