Iran's Crackdown on Undocumented Afghan Immigrants Intensifies
Foreign individuals in Iran without valid residential status face imminent expulsion.
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Following a surge in tensions with Israel, Iran has vowed to round up and deport millions of undocumented Afghan immigrants living in the country. As reported by Iran's Mehr news agency, based on a statement from a border police brigadier general, properties rented by Afghans could be seized or seized off.
Many Afghans reside in Iran illegally, mostly working low-wage jobs in bustling city centers like small markets or construction sites.
During the recent conflict with Israel, Iranian authorities accused Afghans of covert operations, claiming blame for small drone attacks laden with explosives built within the country. It's said that there have been hundreds of arrests of suspected accomplices, with swift trials threatened by Iran's chief justice.
Prior to the conflict, Iran's security agencies announced a severe stance against Afghan immigrants living without permits. The two countries share an extensive border, over 900 kilometers long. About two million illegal immigrants were scheduled to be deported by the end of March 2025.
These efforts to kick out foreigners have escalated dramatically since early 2025. Iran has set a self-imposed deadline of July 6, 2025, for all undocumented Afghans to leave the country, possibly impacting up to 4 million people.
From late 2024 through 2025, Iran has shifted its stance towards Afghan migrants, who have lived in Iran for years, from relatively tolerant to harsh. In May 2025 alone, over 15,000 families were reportedly forced to return, which is double the number deported in April and three times more than in May 2024.
Similar initiatives affecting Afghans are being implemented across the region, including in Pakistan, Tajikistan, and Turkey, perpetuating a cycle of displacement, irregular migration, and exploitation by human traffickers. Despite these regional concerns, Iran's deportation plan does not appear to be directly connected to any ceasefire with Israel based on the available information.
This escalation in efforts to remove undocumented Afghans comes with many implications. Afghanistan, currently unprepared to accommodate such large numbers, risks experiencing humanitarian crises and further instability. Many returnees face recurring cycles of displacement and are at risk of exploitation and abuse.
Iran's crackdown on Afghan immigrants signifies a radical shift in policy, where the country's fragile tolerance system has morphed into a coercive regime of forced returns.
[1] https://www. unhcr.org/news/latest/2022/4/621062734/iran-reportedly-forcing-recant-refugee-status-afghan-returnees.html[2] https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-said-to-enact-crackdown-afghan-migrants-2025-05-16/[3] https://iranhumanrights.org/2025/05/iranian-irregular-migrants-risk-forcible-deportation-to-afghanistan/[4] https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/4/11/iran-israel-iranian-official-threatens-to-target-israeli-infrastructure[5] https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2025/05/iran-afghanistan-migrants-forced-back-at-rising-risk-of-abuse-and-exploitation/
- Amidst Iran's crackdown on undocumented Afghan immigrants, there seems to be a growing need for community policies addressing the concerns of migrants, especially in light of the potential humanitarian crisis and increased vulnerability to exploitation.
- The ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, as well as political tensions, have contributed to an intensified focus on migration, with vocational training programs now crucial for Afghan immigrants returned to their home country, aiding their transition and reducing their potential for re-migration and exploitation in future conflicts or high-risk employment situations.
