Iran Expels Afghan Immigrants With Valid Passports and Visas, Sparking Human Rights Concerns

In a concerning development, the Iranian government has reportedly begun the deportation of Afghan immigrants, even those possessing valid passports and visas. The situation was brought to light by local officials in Herat, Afghanistan, who revealed that Iranian police tore up passports and visas of some Afghan immigrants before forcibly expelling them from the country.

Abdullah Qayoumi, head of immigration affairs at the Islam Qala port in Herat, disclosed that a significant number of legal Afghan immigrants were being deported from Iran through this port daily. He emphasized that Iranian authorities were deporting individuals with valid documents, contradicting official statements suggesting that only those without proper documentation were being expelled.

“They deport our immigrants who have legal documents and go there to find employment. Passports are not valid for them. They are saying in the media that we are deporting those immigrants who do not have passports and legal documents, while this is not true,” Qayoumi stated.

Despite holding Iranian visas, some deported Afghans reported being arrested and forcibly expelled. Khairullah, an Afghan immigrant who experienced deportation from Iran, recounted, “We told them that we have passports, and they said that here your passport does not work. They tore our passports.”

Human rights advocates have condemned Iran’s actions, alleging a violation of international rules and norms. Sayed Ashraf, a human rights activist, asserted that Afghan immigrants have consistently been treated politically, with Iran prioritizing its political agenda over individuals’ legal status.

Local officials in Herat disclosed that the rate of Afghan immigrants being expelled from Iran has doubled over the past month. According to figures from the Herat refugee department, approximately 4,000 deported Afghans entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala Port.

Earlier in the week, the Taliban-led Ministry of Migrants’ Affairs reported that 1,957 Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Iran through the Islam Qala border crossing. The ministry, citing the head of the Herat border authority, also mentioned that 24 families, comprising 91 people, were forcibly repatriated.

This recent surge in deportations follows complaints from Afghan migrants who returned from Iran, citing mistreatment by Iranian security forces. The situation has raised significant concerns about the treatment of Afghan immigrants and potential human rights violations in the deportations initiated by Iran.