Afghanistan Peace Campaign
Ten Afghan migrants attempting an illegal border crossing were shot dead by Iranian guards near Farah province, the Taliban police spokesman said Tuesday.
At least ten Afghan migrants attempting to cross into Iran were shot dead by Iranian border guards near the Sheikh Abu Nasr Farahi crossing, Taliban officials in western Afghanistan said on Tuesday. Two others who were part of the group remain missing.
Taliban police spokesman Mohammad Naseem Badri said the victims were residents of Farah province and were trying to enter Iran illegally when Iranian forces opened fire. He did not provide details on the exact timing of the incident.
Deadly shootings involving Afghan migrants along Iran’s eastern border have been reported repeatedly in recent years. Human rights monitors say most victims are undocumented workers attempting to reach Iran due to poverty and unemployment under Taliban rule.
One of the deadliest incidents occurred last year in Sistan-Baluchestan when Iranian guards reportedly opened fire on a group of about 300 Afghans. Taliban officials later confirmed at least two deaths and several injuries among those returned to Afghanistan.
In 2020, Iranian border forces were accused of torturing and forcing Afghan migrants into a river in Herat’s Golran district. Officials from Afghanistan’s former government said 18 migrants had died in that incident.
Despite repeated criticism from Afghanistan rights groups and refugee advocates, Tehran has defended its border policy, saying it is confronting mass illegal crossings, drug smuggling networks and security threats.
The Taliban administration has not announced whether it will file an official complaint. Kabul and Tehran have previously held talks on refugee safety, water disputes and border management, but tensions persist.
Humanitarian organisations warn that as economic pressure and deportations from Pakistan increase, more Afghans are attempting dangerous routes into Iran, raising fears of further casualties on the border.