Afghan Migrants in Iran: Deportation Process Intensifies

They have called on the host country and the caretaker government of Afghanistan to address the demands of migrants and halt the deportation process.

A number of Afghan migrants in Iran have once again expressed concern over the “intensification of forced deportations” of Afghan citizens from the country.

They have called on the host country and the caretaker government of Afghanistan to address the demands of migrants and halt the deportation process.

Safar Barz, an Afghan migrant in Iran, told TOLOnews: “Unfortunately, the Iranian government has made the deportation process very rapid and severe, and it does not make a clear distinction between those who have legal documents and those who are undocumented.”

Enayat Alokozai, another Afghan migrant in Iran, said: “The forced deportation of Afghan migrants by the Iranian government has intensified once again. The Iranian government is determined to expel all Afghan migrants, even though they have repeatedly appealed to international organizations and the Islamic Emirate government to pressure Iran to stop the deportations. However, it seems these efforts have been ineffective.”

Some activists in the field of migrant rights emphasize the need for dialogue between the caretaker government and the host country to resolve the challenges faced by Afghan migrants in Iran.

Juma Khan Pouya, a migrant rights activist, told TOLOnews: “Host governments must be compelled, based on international documents, to refrain from deporting individuals at risk and from forcibly deporting all migrants.”

Nazar Nazari, another activist in the field, said: “There is a need for a series of talks between Iran and Afghanistan to reach a lasting solution to this crisis. These talks must be conducted in a manner that satisfies both sides.”

Previously, the United Nations reported that since 2023, Iran and Pakistan have forcibly repatriated more than three million Afghan migrants.

Afghan Migrants in Iran: Deportation Process Intensifies
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Islamic Emirate Attends Moscow Int’l Security Meeting for First Time

The Islamic Emirate has not officially announced who is representing the interim government at the meeting.

For the first time, officials of the Islamic Emirate have been invited to an international security meeting in Russia.

The Russian news agency TASS, quoting the country’s Security Council, reported that representatives of the Islamic Emirate will attend the 13th Moscow International Security Meeting. This meeting began today at the Russian National Center and will continue until May 29.

Hamidullah Hotak, a political affairs expert, said: “This meeting is held for security in Russia, and the host country invited the Islamic Emirate. Neighboring countries are also present, but Afghanistan has repeatedly said that under no circumstances will it allow its soil to be used to destabilize other countries.”

Although the Islamic Emirate has not officially announced who is representing the interim government at the meeting, experts say participation in such gatherings can be part of efforts to gain international legitimacy and increase political and security engagement.

Hadi Quraishi, a military affairs expert, said: “Overall, Afghanistan’s participation in various forums held in Moscow is beneficial for the country both regionally and internationally, and raises its profile on the global stage.”

Aziz Maarej, a former diplomat, stated: “This is very good and important news, and a good opportunity that for the first time, Afghanistan has been invited to a major meeting called the Moscow Security Conference with a representative from the Islamic Emirate. This shows their intention for security. Taliban also understand the necessity and come up with their own proposals to improve Afghanistan.”

At the 13th Moscow International Security Meeting, senior security officials from BRICS member countries, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) are participating to discuss regional and global security challenges.

Although Russia has not yet officially recognized the interim government of Afghanistan, earlier Moscow suspended the designation of the Islamic Emirate as a banned organization in Russia—an action that experts believe plays a role in expanding Kabul-Moscow relations.

Islamic Emirate Attends Moscow Int’l Security Meeting for First Time
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Veterans recoil at Trump plan to end Afghans’ deportation protection

May 25, 2025
The administration claims conditions in Afghanistan have markedly improved under Taliban rule. Those who fought in the war say that’s “laughable.”

The Trump administration’s move to end deportation protections for wartime allies who fled to the United States after the fall of Afghanistan has infuriated veterans of the 20-year conflict there, who say the U.S. government is betraying a sacred promise made to some of America’s most vulnerable partners.

This month Homeland Security Secretary Kristi L. Noem announced the administration’s termination of temporary protected status, or TPS, for Afghans, exposing thousands, potentially, to deportation by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as soon as July, when the policy is to take effect.

The fear, veterans and other advocates say, is that anyone who returns to Afghanistan will almost certainly face reprisal by the Taliban, the extremist militant group that in 2021 overran the U.S.-trained Afghan military and toppled the government in Kabul.

Advocacy groups estimate that about 10,000 Afghans in the United States have been dependent on TPS while they navigate the lengthy and complex process for obtaining permanent residency, a process made all the more difficult, they say, by the absolute chaos that defined Afghanistan’s collapse — and by the guidance they received from the U.S. government while trying to escape.

By declaring his intent to end these protections, President Donald Trump risks alienating a key demographic — veterans of the war — at the same time he seeks to court them politically. His administration has intensified its scrutiny of the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan and demanded accountability for 13 U.S. troops and an estimated 170 Afghans killed in a suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport as the evacuation, hastily orchestrated by the Biden administration, raced to a tragic end.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

Since returning to office, Trump has moved with speed and severity to eliminate legal immigration pathways, particularly humanitarian protections for those who fled crises abroad. In announcing an end to Afghans’ TPS, the administration said there have been “notable improvements” in Afghanistan under the Taliban’s authoritarian rule — a claim the Afghans’ advocates call fundamentally wrong.

“To me as a veteran, that’s incredibly offensive,” said Andrew Sullivan, a former infantry company commander in Afghanistan who works with No One Left Behind, a veterans nonprofit that helps resettle Afghans and Iraqis who risked their lives to serve the U.S. government during its post-9/11 wars.

Sullivan, who last year addressed a Republican-led congressional hearing focused on Taliban reprisals, said he has met with Afghans who were attacked or tortured because of their U.S. affiliation — including one who is now a paraplegic. The Trump administration’s assessment of the safety conditions in Afghanistan, he said, is “laughable.”

“If there was ever a country that deserves TPS,” Sullivan insisted, “it is Afghanistan.”

An international watchdog, Human Rights Watch, wrote in its 2025 report on Afghanistan that the situation there has “worsened” over the past year as “Taliban authorities intensified their crackdown on human rights, particularly against women and girls.” More than half the population needed urgent humanitarian assistance last year, the group found, including nearly 3 million people who faced “emergency levels of hunger.”

CASA, Inc., a national immigrant rights organization, has sued the Trump administration over its decision to end Afghans’ TPS, arguing that Noem, as homeland security secretary, failed to follow “statutorily mandated notice procedures” and callously endangered thousands of people “living and working lawfully in this country.” The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland, where the case will be heard, has set an expedited schedule.

The war’s deadly endgame has been fiercely politicized. Trump tirelessly attacked President Joe Biden over the scenes of violence and despair that marked the two-week retreat from Kabul. In turn, Biden and his aides faulted Trump, who in his first term as president struck an exit deal with the Taliban that Biden maintained he was forced to carry out. Various investigations have determined that both administrations — and the two that came before them — made costly mistakes.

Since the FBI arrested an Afghan evacuee last year on charges he was planning an Islamic State-inspired Election Day attack, Trump’s backers and fellow immigration hard-liners have argued, without evidence, that a broader swath of the evacuee population poses a threat to U.S. national security.

Rep. Brian Mast (R-Florida), an Army veteran who lost both legs in an explosion while serving in Afghanistan and who convened last year’s House hearing on Taliban reprisals, said he sees a stark contrast between Afghans who worked directly with U.S. forces — who he said would not be affected by the TPS termination — and those who did not.

“They’re not one in the same,” Mast said in an interview. “There’s people that maybe worked on a base, maybe they worked at [TGI] Fridays on a base as a waiter or something like that. That doesn’t mean that they were out on missions with me, rolling people up, right?”

The congressman said he was not immediately concerned that the Taliban might seek to execute or punish such people if they returned to Afghanistan. “I’ll think about how I feel about that,” he said.

Shawn VanDiver, president and board chairman of #AfghanEvac, a coalition of groups that have worked to extricate and protect vulnerable Afghans, said he was appalled by what he called the “political amnesia” of those such as Mast. It was only last year that the congressman “sounded the alarm” about what might happen to America’s Afghan allies if the U.S. government failed to keep its promises to protect them.

“These are real lives, not talking points. And the idea that a cook, a janitor or a mechanic at Bagram [air base] deserves less protection than a combat interpreter is both morally bankrupt and strategically foolish,” said VanDiver, a Navy veteran. “The Taliban doesn’t do performance reviews. They don’t check résumés. They kill people for being associated with us.”

“These are people whose only ‘crime’ is having lived, learned or worked in the United States. And now, with TPS terminated and no viable pathway forward, they face an impossible choice: return to persecution or risk deportation from the very country they trusted,” he said.

Many of those who escaped Afghanistan were simply lucky enough to make it through the panicked crowds thronging Kabul’s airport as the Taliban closed in and began meting out violent retribution to those suspected of working with the United States, or with the Afghan government that Washington had supported.

Tens of thousands of other Afghans, who advocacy groups said were eligible for the Special Immigrant Visas reserved for those who served the U.S. mission, were left behind. Others who made it onto evacuation planes were separated from young children, their spouses or their parents, and have sought to bring them to the United States in the years since.

For veterans of the war who say their survival depended on the relationships they built with Afghan partners, Trump’s abrupt cancellation of deportation protections is a deeply, bitterly shameful slight. Some devoted considerable time and personal expense to help evacuate and resettle their former Afghan partners during Kabul’s collapse.

Advocacy groups such as No One Left Behind say they continue to urge members of Congress, Democrats and Republicans, to intervene. But the GOP, which holds majorities in the House and Senate, has yet to demonstrate an appetite to challenge a president who is so determined to lock down U.S. borders and ramp up deportations, no matter the means — and no matter the potential cost.

Rubio was vague in his response, citing an ongoing review. “We are determining,” he said, “whether we are properly vetting people.”

Advocates say the Afghans dependent on TPS include women’s rights activists, journalists, humanitarian workers, and former members of the Afghan military and government who are ineligible for Special Immigrant Visas because they did not work directly for the United States. But even for those who are eligible, obtaining them has been extraordinarily difficult because many — at the urging of the Biden administration — sought to evade Taliban detection as they fled and destroyed documents showing their U.S. affiliation.

“If they’re sent back to Afghanistan,” Crow said, “it would be a death sentence for them.”

Veterans recoil at Trump plan to end Afghans’ deportation protection
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4th Antalya Conference on Afghanistan kicks off in Turkey

Khaama Press

 

The fourth Antalya Conference on Afghanistan began in Turkey, focusing on civil society, democracy, women’s rights, and inclusive political dialogue.

The fourth round of the national dialogue on the role of civil society and democratic forces in Afghanistan’s future—known as the Antalya Process—began on Monday, May 26, in Turkey.

The two-day conference brings together Afghanistan civil society activists, women, and journalists to deliberate on key political, social, and strategic challenges facing the country.

According to the organizers’ statement, this round of discussions is aimed at fostering national dialogue and inclusive consensus as a step toward achieving a legitimate, stable, and people-centered political agreement for Afghanistan.

Participants will also address critical issues such as censorship, exile, misinformation, and safeguarding freedom of expression—particularly in the context of media repression and civil space shrinkage in Afghanistan.

The previous Antalya Conference, held on March 4, 2024, hosted more than 80 participants, including human rights defenders, diplomats, and journalists who collectively emphasized the need for coordinated efforts to secure Afghanistan’s democratic future.

This latest Antalya dialogue reflects growing international and diaspora-led efforts to reinvigorate civil discourse and democratic engagement in Afghanistan. It seeks to provide an inclusive platform for Afghan voices silenced or exiled since the political transition.

As international attention fluctuates, such forums offer a vital opportunity to maintain momentum for rights-based governance and to reaffirm civil society’s pivotal role in shaping Afghanistan’s path forward.

4th Antalya Conference on Afghanistan kicks off in Turkey
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Trump: US Military Will No Longer Engage in Nation-Building Missions

He stressed that this approach has now come to an end.

The US president said that the American military will no longer participate in nation-building missions in other countries.

Speaking at the graduation ceremony of the US Military Academy, Donald Trump criticized America’s past military strategy, stating that for the past two decades, the US military had been deployed to countries under the banner of nation-building, where there was no real need for an American military presence.

The US President said: “For at least two decades, political leaders from both parties have dragged our military into missions, it was never meant to be. It wasn’t meant to be. People would say, ‘Why are we doing this?’ ‘Why are we wasting our time, money, and souls,’ in some case. They sent our warriors on nation-building crusades to nations that wanted nothing to do with us, led by leaders that didn’t have a clue in distant lands, while abusing our soldiers with absurd ideological experiments here and at home. All of that’s ended.”

Meanwhile, the chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, US Congressman Mike Bost, described Bagram Airbase as the closest strategic location for confronting US adversaries. He also criticized the manner in which American forces withdrew from Afghanistan.

He said: He said: “You’ve got China, Afghanistan and Russia … we would have had the most forward air base right there.”

Although the US President and other American officials have repeatedly criticized how the United States exited Afghanistan, Washington’s official stance on Afghanistan remains unclear.

Zakiullah Mohammadi, a university professor, commented: “This means they no longer want to maintain a military presence in Afghanistan. However, the current US system indicates that while they don’t want a military presence, they still believe some form of presence should remain.”

Previously, the US Secretary of State also said that the future US policy toward Afghanistan’s interim government is under review.

Trump: US Military Will No Longer Engage in Nation-Building Missions
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Acting Minister Denies Disputes Within Islamic Emirate

Mohammad Younus Akhundzada made the comments during a ceremony marking the launch of several development projects in Parwan province.

Mohammad Younus Akhundzada, the acting minister of rural rehabilitation and development, denied claims of disagreements within the leadership of the Islamic Emirate, and pledged that the Islamic Emirate would never compromise its principles or concede its authority to international organizations or companies. 

 He made the comments during a ceremony marking the launch of several development projects in Parwan province.

He said: “The propaganda spread by some from foreign countries through the media, claiming that there are problems and disagreements within the Islamic Emirate, and which might influence you—do not be influenced. There is not even a shred of disagreement among the members of the Islamic Emirate.”

In his speech, the minister said that the caretaker government seeks to establish positive relations with other countries, but under no circumstances will it compromise the country’s principles.

Akhundzada said: “If there are institutions, companies, or even the United Nations, when they act as a system within the country, we do not need them. This country, this system, and these principles belong to us. We do not give authority over them to anyone, nor do we negotiate them with anyone.”

Mohammad Idris Anwari, the governor of Parwan, stated during the ceremony: “Government officials think of nothing other than your well-being, interests, and resolving your problems.”

The event was held to inaugurate approximately 175 small and large development projects costing more than 245 million afghani in the Shinwari and Salang districts of Parwan.

Abdul Samad Sadiq, director of rural development in Parwan, assured the public: “We give you 100 percent assurance that these projects will be implemented exactly as outlined in the design and proposals.”

The lack of healthcare centers, schools, and standard roads are among the main challenges for residents of remote areas in Parwan. Locals have called on officials to address these problems.

Abdul Qadeer, a resident of Darah Kafshan in Shinwari district, told TOLOnews: “Our houses and pasturelands cover an area of about 25 square kilometers, and there is only one clinic which cannot serve everyone. We need a clinic and a road.”

According to officials, these projects include the construction of side roads, bridges, culverts, retaining walls, and irrigation canals, all supported by the World Bank.

Acting Minister Denies Disputes Within Islamic Emirate
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Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign to begin tomorrow in Afghanistan

 

A nationwide polio vaccination campaign will begin tomorrow in Afghanistan, aiming to immunize over 200,000 children under five years old.

A nationwide polio vaccination campaign is set to begin on Monday, May 26, across all provinces of Afghanistan, according to health authorities. The initiative aims to immunize millions of children under the age of five against the deadly poliovirus.

In Sar-e-Pul province, local officials confirmed the campaign began a day earlier, targeting over 200,000 children. Health workers are going door to door to ensure comprehensive coverage and prevent further transmission of the virus in vulnerable communities.

Health authorities emphasized that the primary goal of this campaign is the complete eradication of polio from Afghanistan. Despite significant progress in recent years, Afghanistan remains one of the few countries where wild poliovirus is still endemic.

Polio is a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects young children. It can cause irreversible paralysis and, in severe cases, death. Although consistent vaccination efforts have reduced polio cases significantly, challenges such as insecurity, misinformation, and difficult terrain continue to hamper full eradication.

Health experts and organizations, including the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF, have reiterated their call for families to support vaccination teams and ensure every eligible child receives the vaccine. Collaboration at the community level is essential to achieving a polio-free future.
Officials stress that with sustained public cooperation and uninterrupted access to all regions, Afghanistan has a real chance of eliminating polio in the near future. The campaign is part of broader global efforts to end polio worldwide, with Afghanistan’s success playing a critical role in reaching that goal.
Nationwide Polio Vaccination Campaign to begin tomorrow in Afghanistan
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India Resumes Online Visa Issuance for Afghan Citizens

25 May 2025

The categories of visas that have been listed on the portal are “student, business, medical, medical attendant, entry, and UN diplomat.”

The Indian newspaper The Hindu, has reported that the country has resumed granting several categories of visas to Afghan nationals, including to business people and artists, according to a notification on a government website.

India had suspended all visa services to Afghans and shut down its embassies and consulates following the fall of the Republic and Islamic Emirate’s takeover in Afghanistan.

According to sources cited in the report, the change occurred in the last week of April, however, there has been no official announcement by the Indian government on the issue.

The Indian government source told the Hindu: “Afghans are getting visas for trade, medical [purposes], and other categories.”

According to the website of indianvisaonline.gov.in, a portal for “new Afghan visa” has been added to the website where “Afghan nationals may apply for online visa.”

The categories of visas that have been listed on the portal are “student, business, medical, medical attendant, entry, and UN diplomat.”

The portal says that Afghans who own property in India, dependent parents of a student visiting India for higher education, and parents of a student below the age of 18 may also apply for entry visas.

After the government fell on August 15, 2025, most embassies in Afghanistan closed their offices and suspended their activities, and in August 17, that year, “e-Emergency X-Miscellaneous visa” was announced by India for stranded Afghan citizens, which were mostly granted to those from the Hindu and Sikh communities.

India Resumes Online Visa Issuance for Afghan Citizens
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Landmines in Parwan Have Killed 200 People in One Village Alone

According to the residents, nearly 1,000 families live in this village, which is considered one of the most remote regions in Parwan.

Residents of a village in Koh Safi district of Parwan province say that due to landmines left over from past wars, approximately 200 people have lost their lives in just one area.

According to the residents, nearly 1,000 families live in this village, which is considered one of the most remote regions in Parwan.

Mohsin Khan, a resident of Koh Safi, said: “There have been many landmines here over the past 30 years, and they have martyred many people. We have nearly 200 martyrs due to mine explosions, and the number of people injured by mines is also very high.”

Omar Gul, another resident of Koh Safi, said: “There are mines everywhere you go—on every hill and in every field.”

Ghulam Sakhi, a resident of the village of Jawzak in Koh Safi district, who lost one hand and one leg due to leftover landmines from decades of conflict, said he is now unable to work due to his disability.

“I had gone into the mountains to collect firewood. I didn’t recognize the mine, and when I picked it up, it exploded and took my hand and leg,” he said.

Local authorities in Parwan have pledged to address this issue.

Sayed Hikmatullah Shamim, spokesperson for the Parwan governor, stated: “The provincial leadership will coordinate this matter with the relevant departments, and the issue will be addressed soon.”

Despite the restoration of security and the complete end of conflict across the country over the past four years, landmines left from previous wars continue to claim victims, especially among women and children.

Landmines in Parwan Have Killed 200 People in One Village Alone
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Turkic States Urge Inclusive Govt and Rights Protection in Afghanistan

The Islamic Emirate has responded by stating its desire for cordial relations with these countries.

In a joint statement, the leaders of Turkic states have emphasized the establishment of an inclusive government in Afghanistan, respect for human rights, and the fight against terrorism and drug trafficking.

The president of Kyrgyzstan highlighted the necessity of peace and stability in Afghanistan, stating that his country supports effective measures and assistance to help Afghanistan achieve sustainable development and security.

Sadyr Japarov, the president of Kyrgyzstan, stated: “In this regional context, where threats and challenges remain, high-level political coordination and cooperation are of great importance to us. In this regard, the declaration by the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization regarding Afghanistan demonstrates Kyrgyzstan’s interest in peace and stability in the country. We also call for effective support and measures to strengthen security and sustainable development in Afghanistan.”

During an informal meeting, the leaders of the Turkic states requested their foreign ministers to continuously monitor the situation in Afghanistan. They also called for sustained engagement by the international community to ensure a peaceful Afghanistan.

The joint statement reads: “We encourage the formation of a representative government that reflects the diversity of the Afghan nation. We call for respect for human rights, including the protection and guarantee of the fundamental rights of all Afghan citizens without any form of discrimination. We emphasize the necessity of increased cooperation and decisive action in combating terrorism to ensure that Afghan soil is not used by terrorist groups to threaten or attack other countries.”

In response to the statement, Moein Gul Samkani, a political analyst, said: “We also have our own mechanisms and advocate for convening a Loya Jirga to foster political dialogue. We have no objection to this idea, but these countries should not explicitly impose such demands, as it is not in their interest either. It would be better for them to allow us to independently create our own process.”

The Islamic Emirate has responded by stating its desire for cordial relations with these countries.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, stated that forming an inclusive government is an internal matter and assured that Afghan soil will not pose a threat to others.
He said: “Afghans themselves will address domestic issues, as this is a national need. The demands, concerns, and proposals of the people will be considered. However, other countries should also recognize their responsibilities concerning Afghanistan, to the extent that it pertains to them.”

The Organization of Turkic States was established on October 3, 2009, with the participation of Turkey, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. Today, the organization includes eight members, comprising seven Turkic-speaking countries and Hungary.

Turkic States Urge Inclusive Govt and Rights Protection in Afghanistan
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