In the wake of the military crisis between Iran and Israel and the exposure of serious security vulnerabilities, the Islamic Republic of Iran has opted for the mass expulsion of Afghan refugees as a substitute for accountability — an act that resembles an attempt to conceal its failures more than a responsible crisis response.
In just one month, over 100,000 Afghan migrants — including women, children, and other vulnerable individuals — have been forcibly deported from Iran without due legal process.
Many of them had fled Taliban violence and repression, only to face arbitrary detention, humiliating treatment, and nighttime deportations to insecure border regions in Iran.
These expulsions have been carried out without individual assessments, without access to protection services or legal remedies, and in a climate of political scapegoating. Some Iranian officials have accused Afghan nationals of collusion with enemies of the state — unsubstantiated claims that violate the presumption of innocence and amount to collective punishment.
The principle of non-refoulement, a cornerstone of customary international law, prohibits the return of refugees to countries where their life or freedom would be at risk.
Blind expulsions, especially of women and children, without individualized risk assessments, reveal a lack of responsible policymaking and disregard for basic moral and humanitarian obligations.
HANA Human Rights Organization
July 23, 2025