Iran to fine Afghan refugees staying past deadline

With only one day remaining before the end of Iran’s second deadline for Afghan refugees, Iranian authorities have warned that those who fail to leave the country by September 6 will face fines for illegal residence.

September 6 marks the final deadline for undocumented Afghan refugees to leave Iran. Starting Sunday of the following week, those who remain in the country will be subject to penalties for illegal stay.

Meanwhile, Pakistan has also begun the forced deportation of Afghan migrants holding temporary residence cards as of Monday, and thousands have already been returned to Afghanistan.

In response to this matter, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi has called on Pakistan to suspend deportations, citing the severe impact of the recent deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan.

“The recent earthquake has affected over 500,000 people in eastern Afghanistan. Given the circumstances, I urge the Government of Pakistan to halt the implementation of the plan to return undocumented foreign nationals,” said Grandi.

Meanwhile, the UN and humanitarian organizations have stressed that the continued forced deportation of Afghan migrants from both Pakistan and Iran under the current conditions could worsen the humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan and further limit the ability of aid agencies to support earthquake survivors.