(IRAN) Iranian authorities have accelerated mass removals of Afghan nationals in 2025, expelling more than 1.1 million people by July and over 1.5 million by September, according to aid agencies tracking the flows. The Afghan deportation crisis surged after a June conflict with Israel, when Tehran tied expulsions to national security and vague espionage claims. Officials set a July 6, 2025 deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave, and removals since then have overwhelmed Afghanistan’s border provinces, creating a fast-moving emergency that rights groups say breaches non-refoulement, the international rule that bars returning people to harm.
Daily crossings from Iran reportedly peaked at 51,000 in late June and early July, with more than 500,000 removals logged in just 16 days. The International Organization for Migration has called the scale “potentially one of the largest forced movements of a population in the decade,” echoing warnings by the UN refugee and human rights systems that the deportations are unsafe and unlawful in the current Afghan context.
Escalation and legal concerns
Iran’s stated goal is to push out up to 4 million Afghans. Rights monitors report widespread sweeps: mass raids, checkpoints, workplace inspections, and night roundups. Even Afghans with valid visas have been detained and deported, with multiple reports that documents were destroyed during custody, blocking appeals.
Deportees describe overcrowded detention sites, abuse, and extortion before forced transport to the Afghan border. Children make up about 25% of those expelled. Iranian authorities have also announced the sealing and confiscation of homes rented to Afghans.
“Mass removals without case-by-case review violate international law, including non-refoulement.” — UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights has urged an immediate pause to forced returns, citing a “multi-layered human rights crisis” in Afghanistan. The Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights has issued repeated press briefings on the risks and legal obligations states must uphold; those statements are available on the OHCHR site at https://www.ohchr.org.
Aid groups say Afghanistan is in no position to receive such numbers. The country already counts 22.9 million people in need of assistance, and heavy return flows—combined with drought, job loss, and restrictions on women and girls—have strained local systems.
Humanitarian funding for the regional Afghanistan response was just 24% of the $478 million required by midyear, leaving a 76% shortfall, according to https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/afghanistan.
Hazards and incidents
Conditions on the ground can be hazardous. On August 19, 2025, a bus crash on the Herat–Islam Qala highway killed at least 79 deported migrants, including 19 children. Overcrowded vehicles and chaotic transfers at border points were cited by responders as recurring dangers.
People arriving after years in Iran—many born there—often step onto Afghan soil with few belongings, no identity papers, and no relatives to meet them. The Center for Human Rights in Iran has condemned the expulsions as “collective punishment” and “an egregious violation of international law.” Documentation of roundups, document destruction, and property penalties is available at https://iranhumanrights.org.
The Norwegian Refugee Council has warned that the response is overstretched and has called for an end to involuntary returns and greater responsibility-sharing by other states; see https://www.nrc.no for its operational updates.
Humanitarian strain and international response
As of September, more than 1.4 million people had returned to Afghanistan from Iran in 2025, with total returns to Afghanistan (including from Pakistan) exceeding 1.9 million. Pakistan’s parallel removals of Afghans—resumed under its “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” earlier this year—have amplified pressure along Afghanistan’s borders and in major cities.
If current trends continue, humanitarian agencies project over 3 million returnees by year’s end.
UN bodies, NGOs, and legal advocates argue that systematic removals without individualized screening for protection needs fall foul of international law. The principle of non-refoulement applies regardless of status: a person cannot be sent to a place where they risk persecution, torture, or serious harm. That baseline duty does not depend on whether someone holds a refugee card or valid visa.
The UN Refugee Agency’s country and regional updates stress that Afghanistan does not meet conditions for safe, voluntary, and dignified returns; background resources are available via https://www.unrefugees.org.
While Iran defends the campaign as a national security measure following its brief conflict with Israel, rights monitors point out that collective expulsions and due process gaps cannot be justified under international law. Analysis by VisaVerge.com notes the speed and scale of the deportations leave almost no space for case-by-case assessments that could identify people at risk, including women activists, former officials, and journalists who face persecution under Taliban rule.
Border communities in western Afghanistan have shown solidarity but say they are overwhelmed. Field staff describe:
- Families sleeping in the open
- Women seeking safe spaces
- Children separated from parents during detention and transfer
Local health posts report surges in dehydration and respiratory illness among arrivals. Aid groups warn that winter will heighten dangers if shelter, heating, and cash assistance do not expand quickly.
Typical deportation pipeline in 2025
- Authorities announce deadlines and departure orders for undocumented Afghans.
- Police conduct raids, checks, and workplace sweeps; detentions include people with valid papers.
- Detainees are held in crowded facilities where abuse and extortion are reported; legal documents are sometimes destroyed.
- People are loaded onto buses and taken to border crossings, often with little notice.
- Returnees are handed to Afghan authorities or left at the frontier with minimal support.
Iran’s push comes against a decades-long backdrop: the country hosted Afghans for over forty years, including waves after the Taliban’s 2021 takeover. Periodic removals are not new, but aid groups say 2025 stands out for speed and volume. Regional analysts add that forced returns often trigger onward movement, as some people try to re-enter Iran or Pakistan or consider longer, riskier routes through smuggling corridors.
The UN Refugee Agency’s operational data and partner updates for Afghanistan can be found at https://data.unhcr.org/en/situations/afghanistan. Humanitarian and rights reporting is also available from https://www.nrc.no, https://www.ohchr.org, and https://iranhumanrights.org. These sources describe an underfunded response, mounting needs, and persistent legal concerns tied to non-refoulement obligations.
Protection pathways and legal guidance
For Afghans who fear harm and reach third countries, legal protection options depend on national systems.
- In the United States 🇺🇸, guidance on asylum and refugee processes is maintained by U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services; see the USCIS overview at this official government link: https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/refugees-and-asylum.
- Lawyers stress that anyone with potential claims should seek qualified legal help promptly and keep proof of identity, family ties, and risk profiles safe and backed up.
Funding gaps and operational impact
Funding shortfalls remain a critical barrier. UNHCR reported only 24% of its Afghanistan situation needs covered by July, leaving the response with a 76% shortfall.
Consequences of the funding gap include:
- Fewer reception services at crossing points
- Reduced cash grants for basics like food and rent
- Limited support for schooling and health services
The Norwegian Refugee Council warns that without more resources, both border transit centers and urban host neighborhoods will face deeper strain as returns continue.
Legal and human rights implications
The Afghan deportation crisis is not limited to people without papers. Rights groups have documented detentions of Afghans with valid status, alongside reports of document seizures and destruction that block review. That pattern undermines due process and raises risk for groups already targeted in Afghanistan, including women and girls shut out of schooling and many forms of work.
The UN human rights office has called these trends part of a broader “multi-layered” crisis that demands a halt to forced returns and more support for humane alternatives.
As Iran deportations continue, the international community faces three urgent tasks:
- Press for compliance with non-refoulement and due process.
- Fund reception and reintegration support at scale.
- Open lawful pathways for Afghans with protection needs.
Agencies have urged immediate increases in flexible funding, expanded family reunification channels, and humanitarian visas where possible. According to https://www.ohchr.org and partners, simple actions—such as guaranteeing case screening, pausing collective removals, and ensuring access to lawyers—would reduce harm immediately.
Outlook and final warning
The coming months will test whether current trajectories shift. By some projections, over 3 million people could return to Afghanistan by the end of 2025 if trends hold. With border deaths already reported and humanitarian systems stretched, aid groups warn that each new convoy increases risks.
For Afghans caught in the sweep, the choice often is not between staying or going, but between danger in Iran and danger at home—exactly the scenario non-refoulement is meant to prevent.
This Article in a Nutshell
In 2025 Iran implemented an accelerated deportation campaign that expelled more than 1.1 million Afghans by July and over 1.5 million by September, with daily crossings peaking at 51,000 and over 500,000 removals in a 16-day period. The operations involved raids, workplace checks, detentions—including of those with valid documents—document destruction, and reports of abuse and extortion; children comprise about 25% of those returned. Afghanistan, already fragile with 22.9 million people in need, faces overwhelmed border provinces and strained services. Humanitarian funding covered only 24% of needs by midyear. UN agencies and rights groups warn the mass returns violate non-refoulement, urge pauses and individualized screening, and call for more funding, lawful pathways, and international responsibility-sharing to prevent further harm.
