Refugee Rights Watch Global Calls for Halt to Deportation of Afghan Migrants from Iran

Photo: UNAMA – via Twitter (@UN)

The organization Refugee Rights Watch Global has expressed deep concern over the mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran and has called for the immediate cessation of this process.

In a statement released on Thursday, July 31, the organization said that more than one million Afghan migrants have been forcibly deported from Iran to Afghanistan just this year. Some of these individuals were born in Iran or have lived there for decades.

This human rights organization emphasized that mass deportations are a clear violation of international refugee law and human rights standards, and have put the lives of thousands, especially women, children, and vulnerable individuals, at serious risk.

The statement read, “Migrants who are returned to Afghanistan face severe humanitarian, economic, and security crises.”

Refugee Rights Watch Global called on the Iranian government to uphold its international obligations and to immediately end the forced return process.

It also urged international bodies, including the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the International Organization for Migration (IOM), and other relevant agencies to take immediate and coordinated action to prevent further deportations and to protect the dignity of Afghan refugees.

This comes as the deportation of migrants from Iran continues. Iranian authorities have stated that more than one million Afghan migrants have been expelled so far and insist that all undocumented migrants must leave the country.

It is worth noting that the wave of Afghan deportations has intensified, particularly following recent tensions between Iran and Israel.

The large-scale return of migrants is happening at a time when Afghanistan is facing one of its worst economic crises and domestic institutions have very limited capacity to handle the unprecedented influx of returnees.