Afghan migrants forcibly returned from Iran say they were subjected to mistreatment by Iranian authorities, including the destruction of valid travel documents and extortion by police officers, as Tehran accelerates its deportation campaign in defiance of international calls to halt the expulsions.
Several recently deported Afghans interviewed at the border described chaotic and humiliating treatment. Some alleged that Iranian police tore up passports and forced them out of the country despite holding legal residency or work permits.
“They tear our documents and demand money,” said Arif, a deportee who had been working in Iran. “They say, ‘You owe us because we let you work here.’ But no one listens to our complaints.”
