Two members of the Herat women’s national cycling team say they are facing imminent deportation from Iran, where they sought refuge after the Taliban’s return to power.
One of the athletes has already received an official deportation notice, they told Amu, and both have been given one month to leave the country.
The two women, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns, said they fled Afghanistan following Taliban threats and judicial summonses targeting female athletes. Their plight echoes the stories of many Afghan women athletes who once rode with ambition and pride through the streets of Herat, but now live in exile — fearing persecution if they return home.
“I have been in Iran for three or four years with four of my teammates,” one of them said. “Since the Taliban took over, we’ve had no choice. Now, under Iran’s new immigration rules, we have a month to leave. We had arrest warrants in Afghanistan, and we were constantly threatened. Women have no rights there — no freedom, no dignity. We were tortured. We are truly afraid for our future.”
Their cases come as both Iran and Pakistan escalate their deportation campaigns against Afghan migrants. Despite condemnation from human rights groups and international organizations, the expulsions continue — leaving many Afghans in legal limbo.
Beyond fears of forced return, the two cyclists described mounting economic pressure in Iran, where rising costs have pushed education and even daily survival out of reach. One of the athletes, who had hoped to study in Iran, said financial constraints ended that dream.
“I’ve been in Iran since the fall of Kabul,” she said. “I wanted to attend university, but tuition was too expensive. Staying here is hard, but going back is dangerous. My athletic career is considered a crime. I was threatened, and I had an arrest warrant. If I return, I don’t know what will happen to me.”
The Herat women’s cycling team was formed in 2016 with 15 members. Today, many live scattered in exile, uncertain of their futures and unable to return home.
As Iran and Pakistan step up deportations, international rights groups have urged a halt to the process, citing the worsening economic and human rights conditions in Afghanistan — particularly for women and minorities.
