Iran Expels 500K Afghans in 16 Days

Tehran : In a massive and sudden crackdown, Iran has deported nearly 500,000 Afghan refugees within just 16 days, according to international human rights monitors. The move follows rising regional tensions, especially after Iran’s recent military confrontations with Israel, which analysts believe have triggered internal policy shifts against displaced populations.

The deportations have been described as harsh and inhumane, with thousands of women and children forced into transit camps or left stranded at border points without food, shelter, or medical aid. Eyewitnesses have reported chaotic scenes at the Iran-Afghanistan border, where exhausted families—many barefoot and malnourished—are being pushed back en masse.

“I saw infants crying from hunger and women collapsing from heat,” said a humanitarian worker stationed near the Dogharoun border crossing. “These people had nothing to return to. They fled war and poverty, only to be treated like criminals.”

Iran, which has long hosted millions of Afghan refugees, has recently hardened its stance amid economic pressures and fears over national security. Officials claim the decision is part of an internal “repatriation campaign,” but rights groups say it violates international refugee protection laws.

The timing of the crackdown—just weeks after Iran’s skirmish with Israel—has raised concerns globally. Experts suggest Iran’s leadership may be trying to shift public attention away from foreign policy tensions by targeting a vulnerable population within its borders.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has called for an immediate halt to the deportations, urging Iran to adhere to humanitarian standards and allow NGOs to provide urgent relief to displaced individuals.

Inside Afghanistan, local authorities say the influx of returnees is creating a humanitarian emergency. With limited infrastructure, food shortages, and no housing for these families, aid agencies are overwhelmed. Children are among the worst affected—many suffering from dehydration, infections, and trauma.

Afghanistan’s caretaker government has urged the international community to pressure Iran to stop forced expulsions and allow a phased, coordinated return plan if necessary.

As global attention remains fixated on wars and geopolitics, the suffering of hundreds of thousands of innocent Afghan refugees continues to unfold silently—an urgent reminder that conflict’s ripples often crash hardest on those least responsible.