Iran accused of mass Afghan deportations without verifying legal status

Tehran [Iran], August 10 (ANI): Iranian social workers have alleged that authorities are deporting Afghan migrants without verifying their legal status, leading to cases of mistaken identity, family separation and alleged abuse during mass expulsions, Khaama Press reported.
The head of Iran's Association of Social Workers, Hassan Mousavi Chelik, said officials have failed to distinguish between "legal" and "illegal" Afghan migrants during recent deportations.
He cited the case of an Iranian child mistakenly deported as an Afghan, whose identity was confirmed only after fingerprinting at the Iranian consulate, resulting in his return, Khaama Press reported.
Mousavi added that some families were expelled because one member lacked residency papers, while in other cases fathers were deported while their children remained in Iran.
Tehran governor Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian said that in the past 100 days, more than one million Afghans have been deported, including 400,000 from Tehran province, according to Khaama Press.
Reports also suggest some deportations involved violence, including a July incident in which an Afghan family alleged that Baqer Rezaei died under torture by Iranian officials at a Zabol detention camp, Khaama Press reported.
Rights advocates have warned that such practices risk separating families, violating human rights and further straining relations between Iran and Afghanistan. Calls have been made for international monitoring to ensure deportations are conducted lawfully and humanely, with safeguards for vulnerable groups, especially children.
Amid these concerns, the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality (UN Women) has warned that Afghan women and girls returning from Iran and Pakistan urgently require humanitarian aid to rebuild their lives in communities already strained by economic hardship and environmental challenges, Khaama Press reported.
In a statement released Friday, August 8, the agency said that over two million undocumented Afghans have returned from Iran and Pakistan since September 2023. "Many of these returnees are arriving in a country they have never lived in before," Khaama Press quoted UN Women as saying.
The report noted that returnees often lack shelter, income, access to healthcare, and educational opportunities. "For women and girls, the risks are compounded by poverty, early marriage, gender-based violence, and harsh restrictions on their rights and freedoms," it added.
According to Khaama Press, UN Women highlighted that only 10 per cent of female-headed households have permanent shelter, while humanitarian organisations are struggling to respond as international funding continues to decline. "Aid workers, particularly women at border areas, are also facing immense pressure," the agency stated.
The agency warned that "without immediate support, the conditions for women and girls will deteriorate further," adding that the reduction in aid is severely limiting the capacity of organisations to meet even the most basic needs.
Khaama Press reported that UN officials and humanitarian groups are calling for greater international investment in support programs tailored for returning women and girls. "Strengthening these programs... is essential for helping vulnerable populations survive and adapt to the harsh realities on the ground," the agency said. (ANI)