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UN raises concern over increasing deportation of Afghan families from Iran
The number of Afghan families without legal documentation in Iran returning to Afghanistan last month was three times higher than in May last year, it added.
The UN on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families deported from Iran, recording a more than two-fold increase in May from the previous month, as the rise in returnees squeeze’s Afghanistan’s resources.
Afghanistan’s border points with Iran regularly see a steady stream of Afghans returning forcibly or voluntarily after crossing into the neighbouring country, often seeking work.
But in May, there was “sharp rise in the forced return of Afghan nationals” from Iran, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.
“Particularly alarming is a significant surge in the number of families being deported – a new and concerning trend, as returnees deported in previous months were predominantly single young men,” it added.
The IOM said 15,675 Afghan families had crossed the border from Iran in May compared to 6,879 in April.
The number of Afghan families without legal documentation in Iran returning to Afghanistan last month was three times higher than in May last year, it added.
According to the IOM, Iranian officials issued a public statement in late May ordering Afghans without documentation to remain in Iran to leave by July 6, “potentially affecting up to 4 million people”.
Already since January this year, more than 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran, the IOM said.
Iran, which shares a 900-kilometre (560-mile) border with Afghanistan, hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, including millions of Afghans who arrived over the past 40 years after fleeing conflict.
The spike in returns comes as Afghans have also been pressured to leave Pakistan in droves, with a campaign by Islamabad expelling more than 180,000 Afghans since April.
The influx across both borders threatens to strain Afghanistan’s already “fragile reception and reintegration systems”, according to the IOM, in a country still recovering from decades of conflict.
More than one million Afghans have returned from Pakistan since late 2023, when Islamabad launched the first phase of a plan to remove Afghans amid tensions with the Islamic Emriate’s authorities who swept to power in 2021, particularly over security concerns.
Many Afghans had lived in Pakistan for decades after fleeing successive wars and crises.
The Islamic Emirate authorities – still unrecognised by any other country – have consistently called for Afghans to be allowed a “dignified” return to Afghanistan.
The IOM on Tuesday again called for “all countries to immediately suspend the forced return of Afghans, regardless of their immigration status, until safe, voluntary, and dignified return conditions are in place”.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan announced on Tuesday the release of American citizen Dennis Coyle from prison.
According to the ministry, Coyle’s mother had written to the leader of the Islamic Emirate demanding amnesty and the release of her son on the occasion of Eid. The Supreme Court considered time served sufficient and decided to release him.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that this action was carried out on the basis of humanitarianism and good faith, and it believes that such measures can strengthen trust between countries. The ministry also expressed hope that both countries, in the future, can find solutions to remaining issues through mutual understanding and constructive dialogue.
The Islamic Emirate also expressed appreciation for the cooperation of the United Arab Emirates in this matter.
Separately, for Coyle’s release, an American delegation, including Zalmay Khalilzad, former U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan, met on Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate.
The meeting was also attended by Saif Mohammed Al-Ketbi, Ambassador of the UAE in Kabul, and a member of the prisoner’s family.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi stated that the Islamic Emirate has not detained any citizen of any country to achieve political objectives; rather, detentions were the result of legal violations, and individuals were released after completing judicial procedures.
At the meeting, Khalilzad praised the action of the Islamic Emirate and emphasized the importance of continuing discussions on all issues between the two countries, expressing hope for further progress in the future.
Muttaqi also stressed that Kabul and the UAE should provide standard consular services to their citizens, and that the Afghan government is fully prepared in this regard.
He thanked Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, for their constructive role in facilitating the release of the prisoner and referred to the UAE as a close friend of Afghanistan.
Earlier, Muttaqi had also praised the role of the State of Qatar in facilitating information exchange between the Islamic Emirate and the prisoner’s family.
Additionally, the UAE ambassador expressed his country’s readiness to play a role in humanitarian institutions and called such developments beneficial for everyone.
The United Kingdom has announced an additional £3 million (AFN 257 million) in humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan, aimed at supporting people affected by natural disasters and other shocks.
Richard Lindsay, in a post on X, said the funding will be used to provide essential nutrition supplies and related support to vulnerable populations.
The new allocation brings the UK’s total bilateral assistance to Afghanistan for the current financial year to £154 million (AFN 13.18 billion).
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