Afghan Migrants in an Open Letter: Iranian Police Torture, Humiliate, and Confiscate Our Property

Photo: AFP

Following the intensification of the deportation process of Afghan migrants from Iran, a number of them have protested against the violent, insulting, and illegal behavior of the Iranian police in an open letter published on Thursday (3 July).

In this letter, it is stated that Afghan migrants are arbitrarily detained, accused of spying for Israel, and subjected to beatings. They have said that the Iranian police tear up their passports and residence documents and confiscate their belongings.

The authors of this letter have called for the immediate intervention of international institutions, including the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). They have described the actions of the Iranian forces as a violation of human rights and have demanded immediate attention to the situation of the migrants and the provision of justice.

At the same time, Nasir Ahmad Faiq, Afghanistan's permanent representative to the United Nations, has also called on the officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran to reconsider the decision to forcibly deport migrants, especially former military personnel.

In a message on the social network X, he emphasized that the deportation of migrants must be carried out within the framework of human dignity and human rights standards, otherwise, there is a risk of a new humanitarian and security crisis in the region.

Previously, the Coordination Council of Afghanistan Political and Consular Missions had also requested the Iranian government to respect the principle of human dignity in the process of returning migrants.

Meanwhile, the Iranian government has recently intensified the forced deportation of Afghan migrants. Based on published reports, the average number of daily deportations has now reached around 30,000 people. International institutions have also expressed concern over this massive return and have stated that many of these migrants are facing an uncertain and troubling future.