Afghanistan Peace CampaignThe Commission for Refugee Affairs has announced that over 700,000 Afghan migrants were forcibly deported from Iran over the past month.
Ahmadullah Wasiq, spokesperson for the commission, criticized Iran’s inappropriate treatment of Afghan migrants and called on the Iranian government to coordinate the deportation process with the Afghan government.
Wasiq also urged international organizations to expand their humanitarian assistance to returnees in cooperation with the Refugee Affairs Commission.
The spokesperson said: “We were even prepared that if the war between Iran and Israel had prolonged and Iranians had come to Afghanistan as refugees, the Afghan government would have accommodated them, and measures had been taken in this regard. Nevertheless, we strongly condemn the treatment of Afghan migrants by Iranian authorities, and humanitarian organizations have also condemned these actions.”
Fatima, one of the deportees from Iran who suffers from a heart condition, said she had lived with her family in Iran for three years.
She described the mistreatment by Iranian officials: “We were brought from the camp, and they told us not to bring anything because they would help us. But on the way, no one gave us anything, and my children became very hungry. They harassed us during the journey, taking our money and phones.”
Fatima also called on the Islamic Emirate to provide not only shelter but also employment opportunities for her husband.
She said: “Our request to the Islamic Emirate is to help my husband find work. We have no house here, and we need shelter.”
According to the Refugee Affairs Commission, in the past month, six pregnant women safely gave birth after receiving medical services upon reaching the Islam Qala zero point border.
Also during this period, the bodies of 95 deceased individuals, most of whom were ill, were returned to Afghanistan from the border via ambulance.
Among the deportees, many were found to be suffering from tuberculosis, COVID-19, and skin diseases. Investigations show that a significant number of them contracted these illnesses in Iranian camps.