SRINAGAR: United Nations agencies are issuing urgent warnings as an unprecedented surge in Afghan migrants returning from Iran, particularly in June, overwhelms Afghanistan’s already fragile support systems. More than 700,000 Afghan migrants have returned from Iran so far this year, with a staggering 256,000 arriving in June alone, the UN International Organisation for Migration (IOM) reported on Monday.
The vast majority of these returnees—99 per cent—are undocumented, and a significant 70 per cent have been forcibly returned. A concerning shift noted by the IOM is the sharp rise in families being deported, a change from earlier months when most returnees were single young men.
This dramatic increase follows a March decision by the Iranian Government requiring all undocumented Afghans to leave the country. Conditions were further exacerbated by the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which caused daily refugee crossings to skyrocket from approximately 5,000 to nearly 30,000, according to Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) representative in Afghanistan.
“They are coming in buses and sometimes five buses arrive at one time with families and others and the people are let out of the bus and they are simply bewildered, disoriented, and tired and hungry as well,” Jamal told UN News, describing the scene at a border crossing. He added, “This has been exacerbated by the war, but I must say it has been part of an underlying trend that we have seen of returns from Iran, some of which are voluntary, but a large portion were also deportations.”
The BBC also reported on the surge, noting that as many as 28,000 Afghans left Iran in a single day in June, ahead of a July 6 deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave the country. Avand Azeez Agha, an IOM spokesperson, confirmed to AFP that 70 per cent of the more than 700,000 Afghans who have left Iran since January were “forcibly sent back.”
Strain on Aid Efforts and Humanitarian Crisis
Afghanistan, already grappling with economic collapse and a chronic humanitarian crisis, is ill-equipped to absorb such large-scale returns. The 2025 Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan calls for $2.42 billion in funding, but only a mere 22.2 per cent has been secured to date, according to UN News.
“The scale of returns is deeply alarming and demands a stronger and more immediate international response,” stated IOM Director General Amy Pope, emphasising that “Afghanistan cannot manage this alone.”
UNHCR, alongside its partners, is working to address the urgent needs of those arriving, providing food, water, shelter, and protection. However, their programs are under severe strain due to limited funding. The agency has been forced to drastically reduce its cash assistance to returnee families at the border from $2,000 per family to just $156.
“We are not able to help enough women, and we are also hurting local communities,” Mr. Jamal added, highlighting the profound impact on vulnerable populations and host communities.
Allegations of Espionage and Discrimination
The surge in repatriations also comes amidst reports of growing anti-Afghan sentiment and systemic discrimination in Iran. The BBC reported that following the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, the Iranian regime arrested several Afghan migrants suspected of spying for Israel, leading to a new wave of deportations.
An Afghan migrant in Iran, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal, told BBC Persian, “We’re scared to go anywhere because there’s always the fear they might accuse us of being spies.” This individual also recounted instances of body searches and phone checks at checkpoints, where finding foreign media content could endanger their lives. Numerous reports in Iranian media suggest that even Afghans with valid visas and documentation have been forcibly deported, with some alleging accusations of “betraying the country” by officials.
Afghan refugees in Iran face significant restrictions, including ineligibility for Iranian citizenship even if born in the country, and limitations on opening bank accounts, buying SIM cards, or living in certain areas. Employment opportunities are heavily restricted, often confined to low-wage hard labour. Iranian authorities have also urged the public to report undocumented Afghans, further intensifying the pressure.
Regional Returns and Funding Shortfalls
A total of 3,284 Afghan families with 13,029 members returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan on Monday alone, according to Afghanistan’s High Commission for Addressing Returnees Problems. They arrived via various border crossings, including Islam Qala, Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Abrisham.
Over 1.2 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan so far in 2025, according to the UNHCR. This includes more than 640,000 from Iran since March 20, with over 366,000 deported. An estimated 7 million Afghan refugees, mostly undocumented, currently reside abroad, predominantly in Iran and Pakistan. Both countries’ authorities have urged undocumented foreign nationals to return home.
Arafat Jamal of UNHCR warned that these massive returns have the potential to destabilize Afghanistan’s already fragile situation. “Afghan families are being uprooted once again, arriving with scant belongings, exhausted, hungry, scared about what awaits them in a country many of them have never even set foot in,” he stated, adding that women and girls are particularly worried about restrictions on their freedom of movement and basic rights.
In a measure of relief, the UN Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) has allocated $1.7 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) to support drought-affected families in Faryab Province, providing cash assistance to some 8,000 families. Isabelle Moussard Carlsen, Head of OCHA Afghanistan, emphasised the critical need to “make the most of every dollar” when humanitarian action is severely underfunded.
The Taliban government has indicated that talks with Iranian officials are underway regarding the issue, and the Taliban’s transport minister stated efforts are being accelerated to transport refugees from the border to their homes. However, with humanitarian provisions at the Afghan border “overwhelmed” by the sheer number of arrivals, as stated by Jamal, the crisis demands a more robust and immediate international response.
