The mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran has led to a sharp increase in labor costs, with wages for construction workers doubling or even tripling in some areas, according to a senior housing industry official.
Saeed Lotfi, the head of Tehran’s Real Estate Consultants Union, said in a press conference that the recent expulsions have left a major gap in Iran’s construction workforce. “Since the deportation of Afghan nationals, it has become extremely difficult to find workers for housing projects,” he said.
“In parts of southern Tehran, residential homes have been emptied due to the deportations,” Lotfi added. “Labor costs have since risen two to two-and-a-half times.”
Iran refers to Afghan migrants as atba’-ye khareji — or “foreign nationals” — despite many having lived and worked in the country for years, often in informal or undocumented capacities.
Lotfi’s comments come as Iran has intensified deportations of Afghan migrants in recent months, particularly following a brief military confrontation with Israel earlier this year. Human rights organizations have repeatedly condemned the expulsions, citing reports of forced returns, family separations, and abuse at border crossings.
Majid Shoja, the border commander for Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province, said earlier this year that nearly one million Afghan migrants were expelled through the Dogharoon crossing alone over the past 12 months. “That figure is three times higher than the previous year,” he noted.
Despite mounting criticism from rights groups and refugee advocates, Iran has continued the deportations, justifying the move as part of broader economic and national security concerns. However, observers say the labor shortage and rising costs reveal how deeply integrated Afghan workers are in Iran’s informal economy, particularly in sectors like construction, agriculture, and domestic work.
Iran has hosted millions of Afghans over the past four decades, with the numbers surging following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
