KABUL, Afghanistan — The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that 1.2 million undocumented Afghan returnees were recorded returning from Iran between January and December 2024. According to the IOM, 67 percent of those returnees were forcibly deported.
“With support from the EU and other donors, IOM provided humanitarian assistance to more than 324,000 returnees during the same period,” the organization said in its report.
The report comes amid intensified efforts by neighboring countries to deport Afghan migrants. Iranian authorities have increased deportations, with Iranian media recently reporting that Afghan migrants in Kerman Province have had their bank accounts suspended.
In Pakistan, forced deportations have also escalated. Afghan nationals living in Pakistan have reported being arrested by police despite holding valid legal documents.
