Iranian officials revealed on Sunday that more than 450,000 Afghan migrants have “voluntarily repatriated” to Afghanistan from Iran since July, according to reports from Iranian media.
Javad Khani, the official overseeing the management of illegal migrants at the National Organization for Migration, disclosed that the estimated number of undocumented Afghan migrants in Iran stands at approximately four million.
Khani noted that 92% of these undocumented Afghan migrants are concentrated in eight major cities, including Tehran, Sistan and Baluchistan, Khorasan Razavi, Qom, Kerman, Yazd, Fars, and Alborz.
He added that one million undocumented migrants in the country have been issued identity cards to date.
The National Organization for Migration in Iran considers border closures a key policy, with the process of expelling illegal migrants originating in the parliament and subsequently expanding through the Supreme National Security Council.
Khani highlighted that a significant proportion of migrants in Iran are Afghan citizens, and efforts to organize individuals lacking proper documentation are underway. Plans for the distribution of identity cards to this group are in progress.
Recent statements from Iranian officials estimate that approximately five million Afghan migrants are currently residing in Iran.
The repatriation of migrants from Iran occurs against the backdrop of an ongoing mass deportation of Afghan immigrants from Pakistan. Pakistani media reported on Sunday that at least 2,900 Afghan migrants were deported from Pakistan in the last 24 hours.
