Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Ehsan Haidari, Director-General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs at Tehran’s provincial government, announced the commencement of the eighth campaign to regulate and deport Afghan migrants.
He stated that the deportation of undocumented migrants in Tehran during the first half of this year has increased 4.5 times compared to the same period last year.
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) reported on Friday, October 25, that the latest phase of the operation to regulate and deport undocumented migrants was carried out in Quds village.
Haidari emphasized that during this operation, a number of migrants were identified and handed over to camps for deportation.
Meanwhile, Vahid Gholi Kani, the governor of Quds, commented, “The illegal presence of foreign nationals creates challenges in our policymaking.”
According to IRNA, Iranian officials have once again warned employers not to hire undocumented migrants.
The ongoing deportations are part of Iran’s broader plan to expel nearly two million migrants by the end of this year.
Reports indicate that hundreds of Afghans are being deported daily, and even some with valid visas and residence documents are being detained and expelled by Iranian police.
The forced deportations are worsening the plight of Afghan refugees, many of whom face a dire humanitarian crisis and the harsh winter ahead in Afghanistan.
With limited resources and a lack of support, the situation is increasingly dire for those being forced back to a country struggling with conflict, poverty, and political instability.