2025 Afghan deportation from Iran

The 2025 deportation of Afghans from Iran was initiated by the Iranian governmet targeting Afghan refugees living in Iran. On June 6, 2025, Iran announced a one month deadline for all Afghan refugees to leave the country borders back to Afghanistan. This started a large scale deportation of Afghan refugees and undocumented migrants, creating a major humanitarian crisis.

As of mid 2024, 1 out 6 refugees in the world is of Afghan origins. Four decades of war in Afghanistan have made many leave it for a better life. The largest number of them moved across the border into Iran.^[1] As of 2025, due also to the Taliban return to power, it is estimated that between 4 to 6 million Afghans live in Iran.^[1][2] Over the years, Afghans have suffered discrimination, restriction of freedom, limited legal protection and human rights abuse by the Iranian regime.^[3]

The iranian regime as well as its population, regard the Afghan refugees as a liability on Iran. The Iran-Israel War has increased the mistrust of the regime in them, for many security reasons, some even being blamed as spies and accused of espionage.^[4] Due to international sanctions Iran's economy has suffered dearly. Recent years have seen a rise in inflation and unemployment, that increased the public calls to expell Afghan refugees, while some say that they are taking some of the jobs.^[5]

The Iranian regime declared on June 6, 2025 that all undocumented Afghan refugees have a one month deadline to leave the country, otherwise they wi be arrested and the deported.^[6][7][8][9] At the end of the deadline, the Iranian government executed mass raided, established checkpoints, held workplace inspections and closed shelters of Afghan refugees. It was reported that in June alone 250,000 refugees left Iran,^[8] while others like the UN claim that all together some 700,000 refugees left Iran.^[10] The refugees were deported through the Islam Qala border crossing in Herat province.^[11] Both Iranian and global media have shared reported of chaotic scenes at the borders. Tens of thousands of people, many of them women and children, were either waiting to be processed or crossing into Afghanistan without any help. Some reports said people died along the way because of extreme heat (over 50 °C), exhaustion, and dehydration.^[12][5]

The United Nations and international organizations condemned the mass deportations, warning of violations of international law and the principle of Non-refoulement, which forbids returning refugees to places where they will face danger.^[12][13] Human rights groups have called Iran to stop the forced deportation and erged the international community to help the Afghan refugees.^[12]

Iran has justified its actions by citing limited national capacity, as they claimed it will be done gradually and with respect for their “neighbors and brothers in faith”.^[14]

Taliban leaders have asked that Afghans be allowed to return home with respect, because the country doesn’t have enough resources or facilities to support so many people coming back at once.^[14]

The UN and its refugee agency (UNHCR) have warned that the forced return of Afghans risks destabilizing Afghanistan further, which is already facing a humanitarian crisis with over 29 million in need of aid.^[12][14]

• Afghans in Iran
• Deportation of undocumented Afghans from Pakistan
• Afghanistan–Iran relations