Mass deportation of Afghan migrants cripples Iran’s leather and footwear industry

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.