Afghan migrants expelled from Iran in recent weeks have described harsh conditions in detention camps, claiming they were held for days without access to food or water and subjected to abuse and extortion by Iranian police.
The accounts come as deportations from Iran to Afghanistan reach record levels. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported Monday that more than 256,000 Afghans crossed back into Afghanistan from Iran in June alone — the highest monthly total on record. Of these, 70 percent were forcibly deported.
Many of the returnees are arriving through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat Province, exhausted and disoriented after lengthy detentions. “We were held without food or water for days,” said Rasul, one returnee. “They demanded five to six million tomans [roughly $100 to $120] from each person.”
Another returnee, Habibullah, said he spent eight years working in Iran before being expelled. “Some landlords refused to return Afghan tenants’ deposits, saying they had no money,” he told Amu TV. “I even saw police threaten us, pulling out a plastic bag and demanding two million tomans per person.”
Others, like Khan Mohammad, expressed a sense of helplessness. “Whatever happens, they always blame Afghans,” he said. “Every problem falls on us.”
The deportations are occurring not only through Herat’s border post but also via Nimroz Province, which shares another major crossing with Iran. On a recent visit to the Silk Bridge crossing in Nimroz, the Taliban deputy chief minister for administrative affairs, Abdul Salam Hanafi inspected the return process and detention facilities.
In its June report, the IOM warned that the scale of the returns is straining Afghanistan’s already fragile border infrastructure and humanitarian response capabilities. Only about 10 percent of those arriving are receiving assistance due to funding shortages.
“Families are arriving with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” said Amy Pope, the IOM’s Director General. “They are exhausted and in urgent need of food, healthcare, and protection.”
The surge in deportations has followed renewed regional tensions, including a recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. Aid agencies warn that Afghanistan, already struggling with economic collapse and limited public services, cannot cope with the mass influx of returnees without immediate international support.
