Iran's shifting stance: From Afghan refugee sanctuary to mass deportations

The Islamic Republic of Iran, with decades of international sanctions and mounting internal financial challenges, adopts a nuanced approach to the Afghan refugee crisis. The ongoing conflicts between the Pakistan and the Taliban forces along their borders have introduced new problems for Afghan refugees, along with the existing ones. For more than four decades, Iran has stood as a key sanctuary for millions of Afghans fleeing war, poverty, and political oppression, a historical record that positions Iran as one of the world’s largest refugee-hosting nations.

However, this traditional welcoming approach has recently weakened because of a rapid campaign of mass deportations. This situation raises serious humanitarian concerns. To understand Iran’s stance, we must consider the scale of its commitment to hosting refugees, which Tehran often cites as an example of generosity despite international sanctions. However,there has been a recent shift and growing animosity towards the refugees, as Tehran has changed its stance due to the worsening economic and political situation.

The longevity of Iran’s efforts needs international recognition. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), as of April 2025, Iran hosts approximately 3.49 million refugees and individuals in refugee-like situations who require immediate international protection. This includes 770,000 individuals recognised by the government who have either an Amayesh–for Afghan refugees (758,000)–or a Hoviat–for Iraqi refugees (12,000)–card. Along with them, 2.72 million individuals are in a refugee-like situation.

Most Afghan refugees are in the southern provinces, such as Kerman, which has 390,409 refugees, and Sistan and Baluchistan, which have 291,665 refugees. The provinces, including Tehran and Razavi Khorasan, have 260,891 and 161,580 Afghans, respectively. Other provinces also have a considerable number of refugees. Due to Iran’s prolonged role as a host, international bodies such as the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) have acknowledged Iranian efforts and contributions.

However, Iran highlights that these efforts persist despite the imposition of unilateral and unjust sanctions and severe resource constraints. Addressing the 76th session of the UNHCR Executive Committee on October 7 in Geneva, Deputy Minister of Interior and Head of the Social Affairs Organisation of Iran, Mohammad Baithaiei, stressed that the burden has become untenable and called on the international community to adhere to the principles of responsibility-sharing. Tehran spends billions of dollars annually to provide food, shelter, education, and healthcare services to foreign nationals, including undocumented Afghans.

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First, multiple reports from 2021 have highlighted that 600,000 Afghan students have benefited from Iran's educational system. This has significantly improved literacy among Afghans to nearly 70 percent in 2021, with each student benefiting from educational services valued at US$1,500. Iran asserts that its educational opportunities align with international human rights standards, and it even supports refugee children and youth in classrooms, allowing them to sit and learn alongside Iranian children.

Second, Iran’s commitment to international refugee conventions is unwavering  and is a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention and the 1967 Protocol. Since 2012, Tehran has collaborated with the UNHCR's Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees (SSAR). Along with this, the collaboration and the support it  receives from the UNHCR underscore Iran's dedication to promoting refugee  conditions and upholding global humanitarian standards. Third, despite  overwhelming international pressures, the government also initiated a regularisation exercise for foreign nationals in March 2025. This offers exemptions for legal stay to at-risk profiles (e.g., former military officials) and families with mixed documentation or children attending primary and secondary education.

Although Tehran’s unwavering contribution to the refugee problems is acknowledged, it has recently been seriously tested. In the context of sanctions, near economic collapse, and political disarray, Iran’s capacity to cope with the humanitarian burden is under pressure due to resource strains and UNHCR’s cost-cutting measures. This exerted an immense pressure on the regime, driving it to resort to mass expulsion, and change its treatment towards Afghan refugees from “guests” to “threats.”The impact of this policy shift is severe, with many Afghan refugees, including women and children, being forcibly expelled from Iran, often without any support or resources upon their return to Afghanistan.

The regime’s response includes a crackdown on undocumented and even some legal Afghan migrants. This crackdown features mass deportations and claims of serious human rights violations. Following the 12-day war with Israel last June, Iran labeled many Afghans as fifth-columnists or "Israeli spies." The Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, reported that 400,000 undocumented Afghan nationals were sent back in the first half of the year. However, the situation escalated significantly, with reports showing that Tehran expelled over 1.3 million Afghans by September end.

Overall, Iran expelled 1.8 million Afghans in the last year, and is planning to deport at least 800,000 more. The UNHCR report suggests that over 70 percent of Afghan returnees are forcibly expelled, with many of them being women and children. Iran also militarised and expanded border security measures, including constructing a 300-kilometer wall and installing thermal cameras and acoustic sensors. Though lesser known,Tehran has a history of exploiting Afghans, especially in the war with Syria, through the Iran-backed Fatimioun militia. This exploitation is not limited to the military; it also extends to the political level. It is evident during the late President Ebrahim Raisi’s funeral, where the regime used 100,000 Afghan migrants to boost its attention in the global sphere.

This highlights Iran’s policy towards Afghan refugees, with a stark duality. While its decades-long history of hosting these subjects deserves appreciation, the recent sanction-driven pivot to mass and forceful deportation shows a decisive shift. For Tehran, it is an economic necessity, but this creates a deepening crisis, forcing millions to return to a collapsing homeland, Afghanistan.

The author is a doctoral candidate at the Centre for West Asian Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.