These migrants, who were attempting to enter Iran illegally, encountered an ambush, and it is said that they were attacked with both light and heavy weapons.
According to reports, dozens of Afghan citizens have been killed in a shooting at Kalagan, the center of Saravan in Sistan and Baluchestan.
Some eyewitnesses of the incident and an Iranian human rights organization have said that from a group of 300 Afghan migrants, around 50 people have survived.
These migrants, who were attempting to enter Iran illegally, encountered an ambush, and it is said that they were attacked with both light and heavy weapons.
In videos released from this event, it can be seen that the bodies of victims and the wounded lie on the ground in mountainous areas without any medical facilities.
“We were ambushed at the Kalagan border. There were 300 of us, and about 270 to 280 were killed. Maybe 50 to 60 people survived, and the rest were all martyred. Ten to twelve of my friends were also martyred,” said an eyewitness of the incident.
The Iranian Human Rights Organization said that from the group of 300 Afghan migrants, only 50 have survived. According to this organization, Iranian border guards had set up an ambush against the Afghan migrants during the night and attacked them with light and heavy weapons, including RPG rockets.
“Iran, as a neighboring and fellow-language country, kills Afghans in this way, and it is truly unethical. All Muslims and the people of Herat condemn this incident,” Jaber, a resident of Herat, told TOLOnews.
“This is a very cruel and wrongful act against Afghans. Afghans go to Iran as laborers,” said Ramin, another resident of Herat.
According to some civil society activists, the attack on Afghan migrants is a crime against humanity, and the perpetrators must be brought to justice.
“Shedding the blood of Afghan citizens, whose aim in migrating is to escape poverty and earn a piece of bread, is considered a crime against humanity and requires prosecution in international courts. A country does not have the right to treat migrants as if they are invaders and to gun them down. Certainly, this action by Iranian border guards counts as a crime against humanity,” Seyed Ashraf Sadat, a civil society activist, told TOLOnews.
This comes at a time when, in recent months, the expulsion of Afghan migrants from Iran has intensified, and there have been frequent reports of police mistreatment of migrants in that country.
Attack on Afghan Migrants in Saravan Reportedly Kills Dozens
Some of this year’s flood victims also say that no organization has yet provided them with any assistance.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), on the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, has called for greater international support for Afghanistan.
According to a statement by this organization, the people of Afghanistan are constantly facing threats from natural disasters and environmental and climate shocks, which claim lives every year.
In part of the UNAMA statement, it is said On the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, “we call for more International support for recovery and resilience.”
Climate change-induced droughts, devastating floods, and earthquakes are among the most significant causes of natural disasters in Afghanistan.
Abdul Mohammad, a 72-year-old farmer from Uruzgan province, says that his agricultural lands were destroyed due to devastating floods, causing him heavy losses.
Abdul Mohammad told a TOLOnews reporter: “I had four jeribs of land, and I planted crops, but I couldn’t harvest them. The flood washed away the body of my land.”
Some of this year’s flood victims also say that no organization has yet provided them with any assistance.
Rahmatullah, a farmer in Uruzgan, said: “This year, no organization helped us. Someone told me to plant wheat, but I said I won’t because it won’t yield anything.”
Hikmatullah, another farmer from Uruzgan, added: “We submitted our names to aid organizations several times, but so far, no organization has helped us, and we haven’t received anything.”
The Ministry of Economy of Afghanistan considers international assistance in the country’s infrastructure as effective for reducing the risks of natural disasters.
Abdul Rahman Habib, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Economy, said: “To prevent potential losses and deal with the consequences of climate change, diversifying livelihoods, increasing purchasing power through job creation, preventing environmental destruction, and managing surface waters through building check dams, water reservoirs, canals, and cold storage facilities are among our priorities.”
October 13 is designated by the United Nations as the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction.
In addition to challenges like poverty and unemployment, Afghanistan is also one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters such as floods and earthquakes.
UNAMA Calls for int’l Support in Reducing Afghanistan’s Disaster Risks
Qomi referred to the mistreatment of Afghan migrants as propaganda from opposing factions and emphasized that Tehran is committed to all the rights of migrants.
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation has announced that during a meeting between the acting Minister and the Iranian Ambassador and Special Representative for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazemi Qomi, an agreement was made to send a delegation from Kabul to Iran to address the challenges faced by Afghan migrants.
In the meeting, Khalil Rahman Haqqani, the acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, stated that the Islamic Emirate aims to repatriate Afghan migrants from Iran to Afghanistan, but this process requires a coordinated joint plan.
Abdul Mutalib Haqqani, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, told TOLOnews: “The Minister of Refugees and Repatriation expressed his appreciation for Iran’s 40-year hosting of Afghan migrants and added that the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has also decided to repatriate refugees to the country. However, for this to happen, a joint mechanism must be established to ensure that the process is carried out with dignity.”
The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation also stated that Hassan Kazemi Qomi, in this meeting, referred to the mistreatment of Afghan migrants as propaganda from opposing factions and emphasized that Tehran is committed to all the rights of migrants.
On the other hand, the Vice Chairman of the Judicial and Legal Commission of the Iranian Parliament has said that to reduce the number of Afghan nationals imprisoned in Iran, an agreement is being sought with the interim government for the transfer of judicial convicts between the two countries. According to Iranian media reports, during a visit to the construction of a prison in Taybad, Osman Salari has said that a large number of inmates in Taybad Prison are Afghan citizens.
Iranian media quoted Osman Salari as saying: “With the aim of reducing the population of criminal convicts in Taybad Prison, we are seeking an agreement for the transfer of judicial convicts between the two countries, the Islamic Republic of Iran and the judicial authorities of Afghanistan. This process has previously been carried out through the official border crossing of Dogharoon in recent years.”
Nazir Nazari, an advocate for migrant rights, told TOLOnews: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, when the host country decides on the forced deportation of migrants, must make the necessary diplomatic efforts to resolve their challenges.”
Previously, the Islamic Emirate had requested Tehran to hand over Afghan citizens imprisoned in Iran for various crimes to Kabul so that they could be punished according to Afghan laws.
Afghanistan to Send Delegation to Iran for Migrant Crisis Resolution
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs, emphasized that no agreement contrary to Islamic principles was made in the Doha Agreement, dismissing claims of secret deals with the United States as baseless.
Speaking at a gathering in Kapisa, Mawlawi Abdul Kabir further highlighted the growing international relations of the Islamic Emirate, noting that 40 of its embassies are currently active in various countries.
“In the Doha negotiations with the Americans, we did not accept anything in the main treaty or its annexes that Islam does not allow. We did not accept a base, a coalition government, subservience, or any external dictates. The claims that they requested Bagram Air Base and we refused, or that we were asked to provide a base for the French in Kapisa and we declined—none of this happened,” he said.
Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Chief of Staff of the Ministry of Defense, criticized the silence of human rights organizations in the face of the war in Israel and Gaza during this gathering, calling the slogans and actions of these organizations for human rights defense a lie.
Fasihuddin Fitrat said: “We are saddened by these false human rights organizations, where Muslim children, women, and the elderly are buried under rubble daily in Gaza and Lebanon, and no one raises a voice against these violations of human rights there.”
Local officials and several participants in the meeting called for the acceleration of work on the Baghdara Dam and the reactivation of the Gulbahar textile factory.
Mohammad Farid, one of the tribal elders at the meeting, said: “The construction of the Baghdara Dam should be prioritized. Once the dam’s construction begins, many people will find work, and it will greatly benefit the people of Kapisa.”
The Political Deputy Prime Minister also noted in Kapisa that the United Nations, Russia, and China are among the organizations and countries that have significantly strengthened their political relations with the Islamic Emirate compared to the past.
Mawlawi Abdul Kabir: No Secret Deal in Doha Agreement, Relations Expanding
Afghan special forces units known as the ‘Triples’ worked closely with the SAS in Afghanistan
The government says it is allowing some “eligible” Afghan special forces soldiers who fought alongside the British military to resettle in the UK, after they were previously rejected.
Under the previous government, about 2,000 Afghans who served with specialist units – known at the “Triples” – were denied permission to relocate to the UK after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Armed forces minister Luke Pollard told the House of Commons a review had now found some applications were wrongly turned down.
Pollard said there was no evidence of “malicious intent” in the initial decision-making process, instead blaming poor record-keeping for any errors.
The so-called “Triples” were elite units of Afghan soldiers set up, funded and run by the UK.
On Monday, Pollard said the government has so far overturned 25% of the rejections.
He said a review had found new evidence that some of the Afghan soldiers had been directly paid by the UK government, meaning they were eligible for resettlement – and this evidence had been “overlooked” during the initial resettlement applications.
These errors were caused by a “failure to access and share the right digital records, and challenges with information flows across departmental lines”, he said.
He criticised the previous government for a “critical failure” in locating the correct paperwork.
The defence minister said the government had reviewed many of the cases as a matter of urgency because many of the Afghan troops “remain at risk” under Taliban rule.
Some of the Triples are reported to have been targeted and killed by the Taliban.
Luke Pollard said the review was “still progressing and each application is considered on its own merits”
The review into the rejected applications was announced by the previous Conservative government in February, after former armed forces minister James Heappey said the decision-making process behind some rejections had not been “robust”.
Pollard said the review’s findings did not mean that all Triples would be eligible for relocation, adding officials were still re-assessing some of the applications.
Shadow veterans minister Andrew Bowie welcomed the continuation of the review.
He said the Conservatives wanted the correct decisions made on the “very important and highly sensitive applications as speedily and fairly as possible”.
Hundreds of Afghan soldiers to be allowed to relocate to UK after U-turn
Iran’s chief of police, Ahmadreza Radan, announced that the country’s police are determined to deport two million “illegal” Afghan migrants by the end of this year.
Radan made the statement on Sunday, October 13, during a ceremony in Mashhad, stating that arrests of “illegal” Afghan migrants in Iran have increased.
According to the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Radan added that since the announcement of the deportation plan, both the number of voluntary surrenders and the arrests of undocumented foreign nationals have risen.
He had previously mentioned that the Islamic Republic aims to expel around two million “illegal foreign nationals” from Iran by the end of the current year.
The Iranian government has intensified its pressure on Afghan migrants, imposing strict limitations on their work and activities in most major cities.
Iran’s interior minister, Eskandar Momeni, urged Afghan migrants living in Iran to “return to their country and work to rebuild it.”
However, due to the dire conditions in Afghanistan, including increased poverty and unemployment following the Taliban’s return to power, many Afghans are fleeing their homeland for Iran and other neighboring countries.
Amid this humanitarian crisis, the forced deportation of Afghan refugees adds to their plight. Struggling with extreme poverty and lacking opportunities, Afghan migrants are caught between the challenges of living as refugees in hostile environments and the bleak prospects of returning to a war-torn and impoverished homeland.
Iran plans to deport two million ‘undocumented’ Afghan migrants
Afghan Australian Sara* is sobbing as she speaks via video call from Iran, a bandage on her nose that she explains was caused by flying missile debris raining down on traffic.
About a month ago, Sara and her husband, Fadi*, left their Adelaide home to help their Afghan family members who are in Iran illegally, in hiding and in danger after fleeing the Taliban after the fall of Kabul in 2021.
The Australian government has told citizens not to travel to Iran. There are risks of missile strikes, terrorist attacks, kidnapping and a “high risk of arbitrary detention or arrest,” according to the Smartraveller website.
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But Sara, 54, felt she had to go to help her mum, Rosina*, who is in her 70s, and to check on her other relatives. There are 16 of them – three families with seven children under 16 years old. The youngest is just five and pops her head into the video call with a cheeky smile.
Rosina is one of 230,000 Afghans awaiting a decision from the Australian government on a visa that would ensure her safe passage to our shores, away from the reign of the Taliban in the region.
In August 2021, after western troops withdrew from Afghanistan, the Nazar family desperately tried to get on one of the few evacuation flights.
“We attempted multiple times after the withdrawal to attend the airport, the gate that we were trying so hard to get to is instilled in our hearts,” one of the men, Faraz*, says through a translator.
“It’s called Abbey Gate, the gate we never reached.“T
he Taliban would come right near us, and start firing the AK-47. The kids were screaming and yelling. They beat us with the AK-47s, pushed the women around. The kids got trampled.”
Other direct family members – locally engaged employees working for Australia – got out. But those left behind were targeted by the Taliban.
“The Taliban assaulted us. Our house was raided and that was the final straw. We knew we were in danger … it felt like the end of the world on the streets,” Faraz says.
The family fled to Iran, holding on to a promise from Australia that they would be protected by their 449 visas – a temporary evacuation visa that was extended – with visa holders assured they would be prioritised in Australia’s humanitarian and refugee intake.
According to the latest statistics, more than 250,000 Afghans have applied to the department of foreign affairs for a visa. About 20,000 of applications have been granted.
The government has allocated 26,500 dedicated visa places for Afghans under its offshore humanitarian program through to 2026 and at least 5,000 through the family stream.
The Dfat website says it is processing applications as quickly as they can, but that there are limited places. “We expect it may take several years to finalise all of those received in 2021,” it says.
“We expect it will take at least six years from date of receipt for processing to commence on those lodged in 2022, 2023 or 2024.”
Priority is being given to groups including locally engaged employees (LEEs), 449 visa holders and their family members.
Meanwhile, Rosina hasn’t been able to see a doctor for years, too fearful of the danger outside her front door.
“I had to come,” Sara says.
“They have been inside the house for two years. They can’t go out. The police are deporting people, beating them. They disappear.
“I went to the Australian embassy to get some answers … but they didn’t open the door to us. They said to call or email.”
The family members that made it to Australia have been calling and emailing for years and the advice to the family has remained the same: go to the embassy.
Asked if she’ll try to get out now that an Israeli attack seems imminent, Sara says she can’t. “How can I leave my mum, my family here? They need me. They need me to buy them food.”
The Greens immigration spokesperson, David Shoebridge, says the Australian government has “failed to live up to” its responsibility to Afghans “after the generation-long invasion of Afghanistan”.
“The Iranian regime is brutal. People from Afghanistan in Iran right now are not safe,” he says, adding that the government should have learned from the situation in Pakistan with deportations and focus on getting people out of Iran.
“It was clear that the regime there would persecute people fleeing from Afghanistan,” he says.
“The government did not act, and now people are in a deeply dangerous situation.”
The danger is from both the threat of attack and from the deportations. The Iranian and Pakistani governments are rounding up Afghans and sending them back to the country they fled.
A Dfat spokesperson said the government “remains committed to assisting Afghans who supported Australia’s mission in Afghanistan”.
“The government … is extending all available effort to finalising certifications and visa applications for Afghan LEEs. If a person is certified as an Afghan LEE, the Department of Home Affairs will prioritise the processing of their humanitarian visa application,” the spokesperson said.
The home affairs website says the government policy is to also prioritise the immediate families of LEEs.
“There were promises made, very reluctantly, but they were made,” Shabnam Safa, from the Australian Hazara Advocacy Network, says. “Australia was involved there for 20 years.
“You can’t help but feel that the whole Afghanistan matter has been completely deprioritised.”
“We know people cannot get bread from local bakeries. They can’t get groceries – there are official signs saying we will not sell anything to Afghan refugees here. Let alone having no access to education, or employment, and constantly living in fear of being deported back to the Taliban.”
The Nazar family say they fear deportation and death.
“If you want us to die, we need to know that’s our destiny. Once they find us we will be deported,” Faraz says.
“We’re losing faith that we’re going to be rescued.”
*Names have been changed
‘If you want us to die, we need to know’: hundreds of thousands of Afghans are waiting for visas to Australia – and time is running out
French police secure the area after a man with a knife wounded several people at the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, France, January 11, 2023. REUTERS/Benoit Tessier
AFP, citing a source close to the case, reported that a young Afghan man was arrested in the city of Toulouse, France. The man is the brother of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, who was arrested in Oklahoma, USA, and is accused of planning an attack on the U.S. presidential election day.
The French anti-terrorism court has not yet provided full details about the identity of the young man arrested in Toulouse.
According to AFP, the 22-year-old Afghan man intended to target a shopping center or a football stadium. French police arrested him after U.S. authorities, during their investigation of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, shared information with the French police.
French police stated that three individuals were arrested in Toulouse on charges of “terrorism and plotting a suspected attack.” However, after initial investigations, the French anti-terrorism prosecutor released two suspects.
Earlier, on October 7, U.S. authorities reported the arrest of Nasir Ahmad Touhidi, a 27-year-old Afghan refugee, on charges of planning an attack during the U.S. presidential election.
The U.S. Department of Justice accused Touhidi of planning a terrorist attack in the name of ISIS, intending to shoot people and cause mass casualties on election day in November.
NBC News reported on October 10 that Touhidi had previously worked with the CIA in Afghanistan as a security guard.
The case involving Nasir Ahmad Touhidi and his brother has raised serious concerns about potential terrorist threats on both sides of the Atlantic. As investigations continue, cooperation between international law enforcement agencies highlights intelligence-sharing’s critical importance in preventing such attacks.
Afghan arrested in France is brother of man who planned US election attack
Stanekzai also emphasized that Afghans do not accept foreign governance and have always given a strong response to the enemies of the country.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, the Deputy Political Minister of Foreign Affairs, stressed that national unity is a fundamental need for the country. In a meeting in Kabul, Stanekzai said that Afghans should learn from the past and set aside ethnic nationalism and other challenges.
He stated: “I hope that God helps us build this country and gives our people the strength to unite, join hands, stand together, and rebuild this nation. This country belongs to all of us; it is the homeland of all ethnic groups.”
Stanekzai also emphasized that Afghans do not accept foreign governance and have always given a strong response to the enemies of the country.
He called on political figures to return to the country.
The Deputy Political Minister said: “In this country, everyone has equal rights. No one, as an Afghan, has the right to tell another Afghan who they are, where they came from, or what they are doing. Every Afghan has the right to contribute actively to the progress of this country. There is no problem here; the country is open to all, and anyone can freely return and live in their homeland.”
Stanekzai further stressed that Pakistan and Iran should provide more facilities for Afghan refugees and revise their policies towards them.
He added that Afghan refugees are not a burden on Iran and Pakistan but have contributed to the development of these countries through their investments.
Stanekzai elaborated: “Our migrants in Iran are not a burden. Iran does not give them free bread or money. Every one of them works there and contributes. They work in the factories, and if Iran is prosperous today, it is with the help of these Afghans, not anyone else.”
Stanekzai also mentioned that corruption and challenges in government institutions are not as widespread as before, and efforts are being made to eliminate these issues.
Stanekzai Emphasizes the Need for National Unity in Afghanistan
Amnesty International has stated that the United Nations Human Rights Council’s resolution on Afghanistan has failed to provide an adequate response to the escalating human rights crisis in the country.
The organization asserts that the Taliban continues to suppress the rights of the Afghan people.
In a statement released on Thursday, October 10, Amnesty International noted that while the UN Human Rights Council extended Richard Bennett’s mandate, it still did not establish an independent international accountability mechanism for the ongoing situation in Afghanistan.
Smriti Singh, Amnesty International’s regional director for South Asia, criticized the Human Rights Council for failing to provide adequate support for justice to the people of Afghanistan, who have placed their hopes in the international community.
Amnesty International warned that the shortcomings in this resolution leave brave activists, particularly women human rights defenders, journalists, and others who continue their work in the face of repression, in a precarious situation.
The organization emphasized the urgent need for UN member states to act swiftly to establish an independent international accountability mechanism. This would ensure that those responsible for human rights violations are held accountable.
Hillary Power from Human Rights Watch described the latest resolution of the UN Human Rights Council as another failure for the body. She noted that despite repeated requests from human rights groups, the Council has not created a mechanism for holding the Taliban accountable for human rights violations.
The ongoing human rights violations in Afghanistan, particularly against women and girls, are exacerbating the dire humanitarian crisis in the country. With the Taliban’s strict regulations prohibiting women from participating in public life and education, the prospects for future generations are bleak.
These violations not only undermine the dignity and rights of Afghan women but also hinder the country’s overall development and stability.
As the international community grapples with the crisis, it is crucial to advocate for stronger mechanisms that ensure accountability and protection of human rights in Afghanistan.
Supporting local and international efforts to document abuses and demand justice can empower the voices of those affected and contribute to fostering a more inclusive and just society.
Amnesty: Human Rights Council fails to address human rights crisis in Afghanistan
Afghanistan Peace Campaign
