As tensions between Israel and Iran erupted into cross-border strikes last month, Afghan refugees in Iran found themselves swept up in the geopolitical fallout. Among them was 35-year-old Enayatullah Asghari, who had sought safety in the Gulf nation but was soon accused of espionage, forced out of work, and ultimately deported.
Asghari is one of tens of thousands of Afghans recently expelled by Iran—a mass deportation that the United Nations warns could further destabilize Afghanistan, already grappling with a worsening humanitarian crisis.
"It’s nearly impossible to find affordable housing here, and there is no work at all," said Asghari upon returning to western Afghanistan after a long and uncertain journey. “I have no idea what to do next in a country that has been cut off from the world since the Taliban took power.”
According to the UN refugee agency (UNHCR), Iran has deported an average of over 30,000 Afghans per day during the recent conflict—fifteen times the previous daily average. Iranian authorities, citing national security, have defended the crackdown.
“We’ve always strived to be good hosts, but national security is paramount,” Iranian government spokesperson Fatemeh Mohajerani said on Tuesday. “Illegal nationals must return.” She stressed, however, that this was not an expulsion, but a “return to their homeland.” No direct reference was made to allegations of espionage.
The Afghan government has yet to issue a formal response.
The crackdown on undocumented migrants coincided with a brief but intense conflict between Iran and Israel, which included U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. Though a ceasefire has since been reached, the impact on Afghan nationals in Iran has been severe.
Iranian officials estimate that, following the fall of Kabul in 2021, more than 2.6 million Afghans were living in the country without legal documentation. As tensions escalated, Afghan refugees like Asghari say they were increasingly viewed with suspicion.
“They saw us as spies,” said Asghari. “From ordinary citizens to the police, we were treated like enemies. They blamed us for infiltrating and weakening their country.”
UNHCR Sounds the Alarm on Regional Instability
UNHCR’s representative for Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, voiced deep concern over the surge in deportations. Speaking from Kabul, he noted that anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran appeared to intensify during the conflict.
“We understand the trauma of war, but there’s a real danger that Afghans are being scapegoated,” Jamal said. “This could trigger a perfect storm for Afghanistan.”
Neighboring Pakistan has also ramped up deportation efforts, returning hundreds of thousands of Afghans since launching a repatriation campaign in 2023. Combined with dwindling international aid and an economy paralyzed by sanctions, Afghanistan is now facing a potential humanitarian catastrophe.
“This is a recipe for serious regional instability,” Jamal warned. He noted that UNHCR operations in Afghanistan have received less than 25% of their required funding in 2025. The country’s aid program has also shrunk dramatically—from $3.2 billion in 2021 to just $538 million this year.
More than 1.2 million Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan in 2025 alone, most with little more than the clothes they wore and what few belongings they could carry.
Iranian officials maintain they will continue their current policy.
“We value our legal migrant community—many are poets, doctors, skilled professionals,” said Mohajerani. “But national policies on illegal immigration will be enforced without exception.”
Reports of Harsh Treatment in Detention
Afghans returning from Iran have also reported harsh treatment during detention and deportation. Ahmad Fawad Rahimi, 26, held a valid work visa but chose to return voluntarily amid rising fears. En route, he was detained, stripped of his mobile phone, and held in a camp with inadequate food and water. He was later charged an exorbitant fee to cross the border.
“Before the war, there were warnings. Now we are all labeled as spies,” Rahimi said. “They claim we’ve sided with their enemies. They want us gone.”
As geopolitical tensions ripple across the region, Afghan civilians—already displaced by decades of war—are once again paying the price. UN officials and humanitarian agencies are urging regional powers and the international community to step in before the situation worsens further.
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