Iran’s Crackdown on Undocumented Afghans Sparks Border Exodus
![Afghan refugees arrive from Iran at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran on July 5, 2025 [Mohsen Karimi/AFP]](https://liberties.aljazeera.com/media/2025/07/1751880077.webp)
Afghan refugees arrive from Iran at the Islam Qala border crossing between Afghanistan and Iran on July 5, 2025 [Mohsen Karimi/AFP]
Undocumented Afghans in Iran now face arrest following Tehran’s July 6 deadline for illegal Afghan migrants to leave the country. In the days leading up to the deadline, tens of thousands of Afghans crossed the border back into Afghanistan, triggering an emergency at border points, according to the United Nations.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported more than 700,000 Afghan migrants returned from Iran between January 1 and June 29.
Meanwhile, over half of Afghanistan’s population relies on humanitarian aid. Widespread funding cuts are exacerbating the crisis, forcing aid agencies and non-governmental organisations to scale back essential services such as education and healthcare. Afghanistan’s population is currently estimated at around 44 million.
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