Fifteen children deported from Iran were reunited with their families in the northern province of Faryab on Tuesday, according to the Taliban’s provincial directorate of information and culture.
The children were taken by social workers from the Afghanistan Rural Development Institution, which operates in Herat, to the Directorate of Labor and Social Affairs in Faryab.
Taliban described the initiative as part of their efforts to support children and facilitate their return to their families.
This comes amidst an increase in undocumented migrations to Iran, which in some cases, involve children and teenagers as well.
As of mid-2024, Iran was home to an estimated 3.8 million Afghan refugees and others living in refugee-like conditions.
In addition, approximately 1.1 million Afghans were believed to reside in Iran under other legal statuses or without proper authorization, bringing the total Afghan population in the country to nearly 4.9 million.
In September 2024, Iranian authorities announced plans to deport up to 2 million undocumented Afghan migrants, citing economic pressures and security concerns. The announcement has triggered a surge in deportations and fueled rising anti-Afghan sentiment across Iran.
