Following a mass deportation strategy, Afghans returning from Iran are faced with severe challenges in Afghanistan, including economic hardship and restrictions on women's rights. The situation prompts many to question their future as they arrive at border processing centers under dire conditions.
The Wave of Despair: Afghans Face Uncertain Futures After Deportation from Iran
The Wave of Despair: Afghans Face Uncertain Futures After Deportation from Iran
A report on the ongoing humanitarian crisis as over a million Afghans are expelled from Iran, confronting poverty and restrictions back home.
Amid a shifting geopolitical landscape, a staggering number of Afghans are caught in an escalating crisis as they are forced to leave Iran, where they have sought refuge. The Iranian government's crackdown on undocumented immigrants has led to the expulsion of more than 1.4 million Afghans since January, with reports estimating that nearly half a million have returned to Afghanistan in just the last month.
At the Islam Qala border crossing, overflowing with returning Afghans, nearly 20,000 individuals cross each day, confronting an uncertain future filled with despair. This influx has heightened concerns for those arriving in a country already struggling with dire economic conditions and critical humanitarian issues. The International Organization for Migration reports chaos within border facilities as refugees express fear and a sense of hopelessness upon re-entering their homeland.
“I worked in Iran for 42 years, so hard that my knees are broken, and for what?” laments Mohammad Akhundzada, a construction worker, reflecting on the years spent abroad. Many deportees share similar stories of hardship and confusion as they navigate being forced back to a land that seems foreign to them.
Returnees at the processing center describe a sense of anger at their treatment and uncertainty about their futures in a country rapidly deteriorating under poverty and repressive laws against women and girls. Amid restrictive policies that continue to limit opportunities, the plight of women is of particular concern as reports suggest an intensification of severe restrictions since the Taliban regained control.
As nations grapple with migration and refugee crises, the story of expelled Afghans illuminates the human toll of political decisions, leaving many to wonder: where do they go from here?
