Iran Reports Hosting 4.4 Million Afghan Migrants, Plans Mass Expulsions

Iran’s Ministry of Interior has announced that the country is currently home to approximately 4.4 million Afghan migrants, based on official census data.

Esmail Momeni, Iran’s Interior Minister, stated that nearly six million Afghan migrants are residing in the country, revealing that at least 1.5 million have been deported in recent months. He added that the ministry plans to expel an additional two million Afghan nationals by the end of the current Iranian calendar year.

These figures come amid a rapid increase in forced repatriations of Afghan migrants by Iranian authorities in recent months—a trend that has drawn widespread criticism. Many of the deported families are now facing severe economic hardship, lack of shelter, and insecurity upon return to Afghanistan. However, the Taliban-led administration appears to lack a concrete plan to support this vulnerable population.

Mohammad Saravani, deputy director of the Interior Ministry’s Foreign Nationals Affairs Center, referred to international standards in a recent meeting, stating that only about three percent of a country’s population should consist of foreign nationals. He stressed that the widespread presence of Afghan migrants in at least 15 cities across Iran requires coordinated planning and precise management.

Saravani also cited frequent changes in migrants’ identity information as a major challenge and emphasized the need for a traceable information system in areas such as education, health care, social services, and security.

Meanwhile, an official from Iran’s Statistical Center reported that the provinces of Tehran, Khorasan Razavi, and Isfahan host 60 percent of the country’s foreign nationals. Statistics also indicate a higher number of male than female migrants. Despite the concerning nature of these statements, no reference has been made to the human rights conditions or legal protections for the migrant population.

As Afghan migrants in Iran face mounting pressures and an uncertain future, the Taliban authorities have remained largely silent and inactive regarding their fate. Human rights organizations and the international community have repeatedly called for the protection of refugee rights, but Iran’s current policies toward Afghan migrants do not appear to align with these international commitments.