In a startling revelation, the United Nations has reported that more than 250,000 Afghans left Iran in the month of June 2025 alone. The International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, has confirmed that this sharp increase in departures has come as Iranian authorities impose a strict deadline requiring all undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country by July 6.
IOM recorded the return of 28,000 Afghans in a single day, one of the highest daily numbers of expulsions in recent years. The increase adds to the already alarming figure of more than 700,000 Afghans returned from Iran since the beginning of this year – 70% of whom were forcibly deported, according to IOM spokesperson Awand Aziz Agha.
Fear, discrimination and political tensions fuel the exodus.
Many Afghans leaving Iran say they are being forced out by a harsh crackdown and growing hostility. Following heightened tensions between Iran and Israel in mid-June, Iranian authorities began arresting scores of Afghan migrants on suspicion of espionage. This has unleashed a new wave of fear and suspicion on the Afghan community in Iran.
“Iranian police stop us at checkpoints, search our phones, and treat us like criminals,” said one Afghan refugee in Iran, who spoke on condition of anonymity for his own protection. “People are accused of espionage simply for having foreign news videos on their phones.”
Even Afghans with valid visas and legal documents have reportedly been deported. Many have described being detained, interrogated and falsely accused of treason.
Humanitarian concerns as thousands return to precarious conditions
Since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, millions of Afghans have fled to neighboring countries, including Iran, in search of safety and work. However, with widespread reports of discrimination, economic hardship, and limited access to legal protections, life in Iran is becoming increasingly difficult for Afghan migrants.
The recent mass returns are putting additional pressure on Afghanistan a country already struggling with a weak economy, high unemployment, and limited public services.
Arafat Jamal, the UN refugee coordinator for Afghanistan, noted that military tensions between Iran and Israel have eased since the ceasefire, but its effects continue to affect innocent refugees.
Call for international help.
Human rights groups and NGOs are calling on both Iran and the international community to ensure that Afghan returnees are treated with dignity and provided with assistance. IOM and other aid agencies are working at border crossings to offer basic assistance, but resources are scarce.
As millions of people return to an uncertain future, the need for coordinated international action has never been more urgent.