A Tajik opposition group has slammed the Iranian government for what it claims is widespread human rights abuses against Afghan migrants and refugees, and called on the international community to launch an independent investigation into the problem.

In a statement issued this week, the Movement for Reforms and Development of Tajikistan, which is based in the Netherlands, called the situation “barbaric and inhumane,” citing allegations of systemic violence, including the destruction of migrants’ documents, extortion, beatings, and executions within Iranian detention camps.

“Women, children, the elderly, and the sick are subjected to systematic persecution, humiliation, violent deportations, mistreatment and arbitrariness by Iranian authorities,” the statement read.

“Iranian security forces confiscate property, destroy passports, and throw people across the border without food or water.”

The statement was issued during Muharram, the Islamic month of mourning, and invoked the legacy of Imam Hussein, condemning Iran’s treatment of fellow Muslims as a betrayal of Islamic values.

The movement’s statement aligns with reports from Afghan returnees, rights groups, and international agencies documenting conditions faced by undocumented Afghan migrants in Iran.

According to Iranian officials, nearly 490,000 Afghans have left Iran via the Dogharoun/Islam Qala border in the past 100 days, most of them undocumented. Iran insists these departures are voluntary, but independent reports suggest coercion and abuse have driven many across the border.

A 2025 investigation by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Zagros Human Rights Center cited extensive evidence of torture in Iranian detention centers, including beatings, electric shocks, forced confessions, and death by medical neglect. Afghan detainees have been identified among the victims.

“Afghans in Iran are facing increasing pressure as their presence in the country is politicized and used as a scapegoat for social tensions.

“Many Afghans who fled to Iran after the Taliban (IEA) regained power in Afghanistan do not have legal residency, making them vulnerable to discrimination, exploitation, and deportation,” HRW said in a statement earlier this year.

The Movement for Reforms and Development sharply criticized what it described as Tehran’s hypocrisy, contrasting the Islamic Republic’s rhetoric about “Persian brotherhood” and “shared culture” with its actions on the ground.

“What kind of ‘civilization’ is this, where women are beaten to the point of broken bones, pregnant women are thrown out of buses, and children are left to die in the desert?

“Where is this so-called ‘brotherhood’ if destitute people who have lost everything are discarded beyond the country’s borders as if they are worthless and undeserving of even basic human dignity?” the group asked.

The group also accused the Iranian government of political manipulation, using cultural and religious ties with Afghanistan and Tajikistan to justify regional influence, while simultaneously mistreating vulnerable Afghan refugees.

“We state with absolute certainty: all of this is falsehood, hypocrisy, and political manipulation,” the group said.

The organization went on to urge Muslim-majority countries, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), the United Nations, and independent human rights organizations to initiate an independent and impartial investigation into the crimes and mass human rights violations being committed by Iran against Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.

Iran has hosted millions of Afghan refugees for decades, but recent economic strain, tightening immigration policies, and geopolitical shifts have created a hostile environment for many Afghans.

While the Iranian government claims its repatriation programs are humane, growing accounts of violence and degradation have prompted increasing concern from human rights observers and regional activists.

Earlier this year, Iran’s envoy to the United Nations, Amir Saeid Iravani said Iran’s longstanding policy toward Afghan refugees remains rooted in “humanitarian principles,” noting that legal Afghan migrants face no restrictions and that Iran continues to issue thousands of visas daily.

He acknowledged the burden of hosting millions of Afghans and emphasized that illegal entries are dealt with under law for national-security and public-order reasons—but denied any systematic mistreatment.

However, this month has seen the uptick in deportations amid regional tensions after Iran–Israel hostilities.

This week, government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani defended the large-scale removal of as many as 30,000 Afghans per day as necessary for national security.

She insisted Iran remains a “good host” but must protect its borders—denying that refugees were being targeted as spies, although acknowledging they’ve faced hardships at detention centres.