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Mass deportation of Afghan migrants cripples Iran’s leather and footwear industry
The impact of the deportations is not limited to the leather sector. Other industries also rely on migrant labor—including construction, agriculture, and manufacturing.
Iran’s leather and footwear industry is facing a dramatic slowdown following the sudden mass deportation of Afghan migrant workers, a key labor force in the sector, according to the Tehran Union of Leather and Footwear Sellers.
Saeed Hayati, the union’s head, warned this week that the abrupt removal of Afghan workers—who previously made up more than half the sector’s workforce—has paralyzed production across many manufacturing units. He said the situation is especially dire as Iran prepares for the back-to-school shopping season, traditionally a peak period for the industry.
“This has been a shock to the entire system,” Hayati told local media.
“Production lines have come to a halt. We were already dealing with a weak economy, currency devaluation, high rent, and power shortages—but now, the labor shortage may push the industry to the brink.”
Hayati strongly criticized Iranian authorities for enforcing deportation measures without prior planning or efforts to train or replace the displaced workforce. “Before implementing such policies, there should have been a structured plan. Instead, skilled and experienced workers were expelled overnight, and now the factories are empty.”
He added that while some stopgap measures have been introduced, they are neither sufficient nor sustainable. “The solution should have been gradual, humane, and realistic. You don’t punish an entire community for the actions of a few. It’s neither fair nor economically wise.”
The impact of the deportations is not limited to the leather sector. Hayati cautioned that other industries reliant on migrant labor—including construction, agriculture, and manufacturing—are likely to face similar disruptions in the coming months.
Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni recently said that around six million Afghan nationals reside in Iran, of which an estimated two million are undocumented.
Momeni confirmed that undocumented migrants must leave the country and stated that nearly one million Afghans have been deported since the start of the Iranian calendar year in March.
Despite the government’s assertion that the deportation drive is aimed at restoring order and reducing pressure on public services, industry leaders and economic analysts warn that the campaign risks damaging Iran’s already fragile economy.
Afghan workers, many of whom have lived in Iran for decades, have long been integral to the country’s informal and semi-skilled labor markets. Their sudden removal is now exposing systemic dependence—and a lack of preparedness to fill the vacuum they leave behind.
Noor Mohammad Saqib, Minister of Hajj and Religious Affairs, announced on Saturday that Afghanistan has secured a quota of 30,000 for the 2026 Hajj pilgrimage, and that this quota has been distributed transparently and fairly among Hajj applicants across the country.
Speaking at a press conference, Saqib said that the cost for each pilgrim from Afghanistan to perform next year’s Hajj has been set at 266,400 AFN, which is a reduction of 15,690 AFN compared to the previous period.
According to Saqib, the total expenses for the Hajj process have been set at 7,818,307,200 AFN.
He stated that separate quotas have also been determined for Mujahideen and Afghan migrants in Iran, Pakistan, and other countries, and that Saudi Arabia has pledged to allocate a larger quota to Afghanistan in the future.
He added that after the Islamic Emirate came to power in Afghanistan, there were 87,104 Hajj applicants who had previously registered across the country. He said that this year the majority of Afghanistan’s allocated quota was given to these applicants.
The Minister of Hajj also emphasized that contracts have been signed with Ariana Airlines and Kam Air to transport pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.
Shida Mohammad Abdali, the ambassador of the former Afghan government in Japan, has announced that the activities of the embassy have been suspended as of today, Saturday.
In a statement, Abdali said that today was the last day of the Afghanistan Embassy’s operations in Tokyo and that the embassy has officially been handed over to a delegation from the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Until now, the Afghanistan Embassy in Japan had been operating under the name of the former government, and its ambassador had been appointed by the former Afghan administration.
Earlier, the embassy had announced that its activities would be suspended from January 31, 2026.
The United Nations has warned that drug use patterns in Afghanistan are shifting away from traditional narcotics toward synthetic drugs and the misuse of medical substances, according to a new report released by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
The report, the third and final volume of the National Drug Use Survey in Afghanistan, found that cannabis and opium remain the most commonly used substances, accounting for 46 percent and 19 percent of drug consumption, respectively. However, it highlights a growing use of synthetic drugs, with so-called “K” tablets making up 11 percent and methamphetamine, commonly known as crystal meth, accounting for 7 percent.
The survey was conducted by UNODC with financial support from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). It also points to the heavy economic burden drug use places on Afghan households, noting that the cost of substances such as methamphetamine can consume a substantial share of a daily wage earner’s income.
Respondents identified poverty, unemployment, physical pain, psychological stress and family problems as the main factors driving drug use. UN officials emphasized that addressing the issue requires integrated responses, including treatment and harm-reduction services alongside primary healthcare, psychosocial support and social protection measures.
The report also highlights significant gaps in access to drug treatment services, particularly for women, whose access remains considerably lower than that of men.
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