As the Taliban prepare to mark four years in power, former civil servants who fled to Iran after being dismissed from their jobs and are now deported back to Afghanistan, say they face unemployment and an uncertain future.
Several of the returnees told Amu they had taken on menial labor in Iran to survive but were expelled despite their circumstances.
Saleh Mohammad, a former senior health official in Badghis province, said he was dismissed after the Taliban takeover and fled to Iran, where he worked for two years.
Trained in political science and diplomacy, he said he now sees no prospects at home. “I studied political science and diplomacy. I worked in the previous government. After being dismissed, I went to Iran and worked as a laborer for two years, but with mounting pressure on Afghans, I was expelled,” he said.
Another deportee, Mohibullah from Badakhshan province, previously worked for the provincial transport department. He said he does not intend to return to Iran but fears what awaits him in Afghanistan. “Iran treated us with cruelty. The people are good, but the government has no morality. We endured hard days, and no one heard our voice,” he said.
The forced returns highlight the worsening plight of Afghans who once worked for the former government and now face deep uncertainty under Taliban rule. With few job opportunities, many deportees say they feel trapped — unable to build a future at home and with shrinking options abroad.
