Daijiworld Media Network - Tehran

Tehran, Aug 6: The forced return of thousands of Afghan refugees from Iran is intensifying economic hardship and social strain in Afghanistan, as returnees struggle to find shelter, jobs, and essential services in a country already grappling with poverty and instability, local media reported.

Many of those deported had spent years working in Iran’s agriculture, construction, and skilled labor sectors. Now, with limited support and few opportunities back home, they are calling for immediate assistance and sustainable employment pathways.

Abdul Rahim, who worked in Iran's agricultural sector for four years, told TOLO News: “We have now returned to our country. I can support my six-member family if opportunities in agriculture are made available here. I have skills — I just need the chance to use them.”

Another returnee recounted the harsh treatment faced in Iran: “If we had the same work opportunities in Afghanistan, we would never have left. In Iran, they mistreated us. We rented homes, but our wages were often withheld.”

The Afghan government has condemned the deportations, calling them abrupt and inhumane. Ahmadullah Wasiq, spokesperson for the Afghan Commission for Refugee Affairs, criticized the Iranian authorities for their treatment of Afghan migrants and urged them to coordinate with Kabul on repatriation efforts.

He also appealed to international humanitarian organisations to step up support for returnees. “We need urgent aid and coordination to help those coming back with nothing,” he said.

One deportee, Fatima, shared her traumatic experience of being expelled from Iran: “They told us not to bring anything because they would help. But during the journey, no one gave us food. My children went hungry. They took our money and phones.”

According to the UNHCR, more than 2.1 million Afghans have been deported or forced to return from Iran and Pakistan since the beginning of 2025. From April 1 to July 30 alone, 1.4 million Afghans returned from Iran and 303,300 from Pakistan. Despite the scale of the crisis, the humanitarian response remains drastically underfunded — only 24% of the required $478 million has been received so far this year.

Returnees face grim conditions, with many lacking shelter, food, medical care, and employment. Aid workers warn of a worsening humanitarian emergency unless international assistance is rapidly scaled up.

As the Afghan government and humanitarian groups scramble to respond, the plight of millions of returnees is becoming a stark symbol of the country's deepening post-conflict crisis — caught between mass displacement, economic collapse, and a fragile social safety net.