European Parliament member Hannah Neumann has strongly condemned Iran’s ongoing deportation of Afghan refugees, describing the mass expulsions as a violation of international law and a humanitarian crisis unfolding at scale.

In a statement shared on social media, Neumann referred to the deportations as a “collective expulsion” carried out “by force, scale, and terror,” and called on the international community to respond urgently.

According to official estimates, more than 700,000 Afghans have been deported from Iran so far in 2025 — over 600,000 since June alone. Many have been transported to the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat Province, where witnesses describe scenes of extreme distress.

“This isn’t migration,” Neumann wrote. “It’s expulsion by force, scale, and terror. Many of these people were born in Iran. Some have never even seen Afghanistan before.”

The German MEP accused Iranian authorities of breaching international obligations by denying deportees access to due process, including asylum procedures and legal review.

Iran, a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention, is prohibited under international law from conducting collective expulsions.

Neumann also directed criticism at European policymakers, particularly the European Commission, for what she called a failed strategy of “regional containment” that left vulnerable Afghans unprotected.

“People with valid visas, degrees, and even children — dragged from homes, dumped at the border, their documents torn up,” she said. “And Europe? Commission? Said back then: they’ll be safe in Iran. Said back then: Afghans should seek protection regionally. Well, going spectacularly, isn’t it?” Neumann wrote.

In response, Neumann called for immediate international measures, including the issuance of emergency humanitarian visas for Afghans at risk, the creation of safe and legal pathways out of Iran, and increased funding for humanitarian agencies such as the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Human rights organizations and aid groups have echoed the concerns, warning that the mass deportations are placing overwhelming pressure on border areas in Afghanistan and further destabilizing an already fragile humanitarian situation.