International Organization for Migration: Return or Deportation of 1.1 Million Afghans from Iran in One Year

The International Organization for Migration, a UN agency, reports that in the current year, 1.2 million undocumented Afghan refugees in Iran and Pakistan have returned to their home country or been deported through the border crossings of these two countries. According to the report, 100,000 Afghans have also returned to their homeland this year via flights to Kabul airport. The report states that 1.1 million Afghans returned from Iran in 2024, with 66% of them being deported. Additionally, 85,000 individuals left Pakistan this year, primarily due to material difficulties and tightened immigration policies. The Minister of Interior stated that Iran cannot accommodate six million foreign nationals. The International Organization for Migration further indicated that the number of Afghan migrants residing in Iran until this fall is 3.75 million, while over two million Afghan migrants live in Pakistan. Ahmadreza Radan, the commander of the Islamic Republic's police, previously announced that by the end of the year 1403 (2024), 'nearly two million' undocumented foreigners will be deported from Iran. Iran has hosted millions of Afghan citizens over the past four decades during various political crises in its eastern neighbor. However, following increased sensitivities regarding the presence of Afghan migrants in Iran, the Islamic Consultative Assembly announced a plan on September 4 of this year, calling for a 10% annual reduction in 'foreign nationals.' Pakistan has also been deporting thousands of Afghans daily since last year, primarily those who entered the country in search of work. The Islamabad government has prioritized the immediate deportation of 1.7 million illegal foreigners, which has faced criticism from the United Nations. The International Organization for Migration points to the hardships, insecurity, drought, and livelihood crises faced by the Afghan people as the main motivations for their migration, stating that according to World Bank assessments, nearly half of Afghans live in poverty, with women disproportionately affected by poverty. The report adds that millions of families rely on financial remittances from Afghan workers abroad or international humanitarian aid for survival.