TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have detained 18 Afghan nationals in Germi County, located in the northwestern Ardabil Province, as part of an ongoing campaign to remove undocumented foreign nationals from the country, according to Iranian media reports.
Colonel Taher Fa’al, the head of law enforcement in Germi, told local outlets that the arrests were part of a 24-hour operation known as “Plan Hijrat,” aimed at identifying and deporting unauthorized migrants in response to “public demands and concerns.”
In remarks reported by Iranian news agencies, Fa’al said, “Following the Interior Ministry’s directive to identify and repatriate unauthorized foreign nationals, and in accordance with laws that criminalize the presence of undocumented individuals, 18 migrants were arrested in Germi and are now being processed for deportation.”
He warned Iranian citizens that harboring, employing or transporting undocumented migrants is illegal and could lead to prosecution. Authorities urged the public to report any suspected migrant activity to the country’s emergency police hotline.
The arrests come amid a broader escalation in Iran’s deportation campaign, which has intensified in recent days. The United Nations has reported that Iran is deporting up to 30,000 Afghan migrants daily, as tensions rise across the region, particularly following Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel earlier this year.
Iranian officials have previously set a mid-July deadline for Afghan migrants to leave the country voluntarily. Those who remain past that date risk arrest and forced removal.
Rights groups have criticized the deportations, warning that many returnees face serious risks, including persecution and economic instability, upon returning to Afghanistan.
