Deported and Deprived: Afghan Families Say Iran Seized Their Belongings

In Herat province, several Afghan families who were recently deported from Iran say the Iranian authorities confiscated their household belongings and other possessions before expelling them.

These families, who now live under tents in a crowded area, are facing severe economic hardship. They say that not only were they forcibly expelled by the Iranian government, but all their assets were also taken from them.

Mohammad Hussain, who was deported from Iran along with his seven-member family, says that Afghan laborers were routinely denied their wages in Iran and were treated with contempt. In recent weeks, he adds, Iranian forces raided Afghan homes and physically assaulted many of them.

“We were deported from Iran a week ago. We have no place of our own here and are living in tents. The economic situation is dire,” he says. “Whatever belongings and household items we had were confiscated by the Iranian government. We were expelled in the worst possible way. They treated us without any sense of humanity.”

Other returnees from Iran say they lack access to even the most basic necessities and are enduring extremely difficult living conditions.

Nasratullah, another resident of Herat who was recently deported, says he now lives in a relative’s home due to the lack of shelter and his poor financial situation.

“I lived in Iran for nearly 22 years. All five of my children were born there,” he explains. “Here, I have no house or property, but some relatives have offered me a room to stay in. Life is very hard. I can’t afford to rent a place and we’re living in very bad conditions.”

Mohammad Zubair, who also returned from Iran recently and is now living in a camp in Islam Qala, says that the lack of shelter, food, and employment has made his life miserable. He is calling on international organizations and humanitarian agencies to provide assistance and create job opportunities inside Afghanistan.

“I lost everything I owned. I had worked for two months, but an Iranian employer refused to pay me,” he says. “I returned to my country empty-handed. I have skills in painting and decoration work. We are requesting help, especially in securing shelter and job opportunities for returnees like us.”

The families who have returned are deeply concerned by the silence of refugee rights organizations regarding the mistreatment of Afghans in Iran. They emphasize the urgent need for attention to the situation of deported Afghans.

This comes amid a sharp increase in deportations of Afghan refugees from both Iran and Pakistan. According to the International Organization for Migration (IOM), more than 256,000 Afghan migrants were forcibly deported from Iran in the month of June alone.

The IOM has described Iran’s mass deportation of Afghan refugees as unprecedented, adding that most families were sent back with nothing but the clothes on their backs and are in immediate need of food, medical care, and support.