Amid the rising number of forced deportations of Afghan migrants from Iran, a group of Afghan and Iranian civil and human rights activists held a protest on Friday (4 July) in front of the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Berlin, Germany.

Amid growing concerns over the treatment of Afghan migrants in neighboring countries, Richard Bennett, the UN Human Rights Council’s Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, says that hundreds of Afghan migrants, especially from ethnic and religious minority groups, have been arrested in Iran on charges of spying for Israel.

Following the Russian Federation’s recognition of the Taliban regime, a number of Afghan civil society organizations, protest movements, and human rights groups have issued a joint statement condemning the decision as “an endorsement of violence, denial of justice, and legitimization of gender apartheid,” warning that it could lead to increased repression, particularly against women, minorities, and independent voices.

Pakistani media have reported that 350 Afghan students, including girls, have entered the country to continue their education through the “Allama Muhammad Iqbal” scholarship program.