Iran and Pakistan are Intent on Deporting Millions of Afghans back to Afghanistan (Taliban)
Kanako Mita and Noriko Watanabe
Modern Tokyo Times
Iran and Pakistan are intent on deporting millions of Afghans back to Afghanistan. Naturally, each nation will have different reasons. However, Iran and Pakistan deem it the right time to deport millions of Afghans.
By the end of 2023, Iran and Pakistan had already deported over 850,000 Afghan nationals to Afghanistan in the last few months of this year. Since this period, both nations have been intent on speeding up the deportations.
Pakistan aims to expel approximately 3 million Afghan refugees this year. Hence, anxiety persists in areas including the northwest province of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa – and areas known for high numbers of Afghan refugees.
AP News reports, “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s proximity to Afghanistan, together with shared ethnic, cultural and linguistic ties, make it a natural destination for Afghans. The province has hosted significant numbers since the 1980s.”
Accordingly, unlike deportations in other parts of Pakistan (Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and so forth), the region of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa escaped heavy enforcement orders.
Voice of America reports, “Pakistan and Iran have sent back more than 2.7 million Afghans to their home country since the 20-year U.S.-led war in Afghanistan ended in August 2021.”
Voice of America continues, “Refugee rights groups and human rights watchdogs have repeatedly called on Iran and Pakistan to ensure that the rights of Afghan refugees and undocumented migrants are protected, and they are not forced to return to Afghanistan, where the economy is in shambles, the majority relies on aid, and women face severe curbs on basic rights and liberties.”
Caspian News reports, “Iran and Afghanistan share a 921-kilometer border, which has long been a conduit for people smuggling, drug trafficking, and the operations of militant groups in Iran’s southeast, further complicating their relations.”
Iran and Pakistan face enormous challenges concerning terrorism, narcotics, internal poverty, and other ills. Accordingly, both nations seek to strengthen their respective internal problems.
Lee Jay Walker (Modern Tokyo Times analyst) says, “China, India, Iran, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan need to invest in Afghanistan – where possible. The Russian Federation and Kazakhstan also need to invest in energy, mining, transportation, and other areas of the economy of Afghanistan.”
Humanitarian agencies and the international community need to work on the ground and work with the Taliban – despite genuine concerns about the treatment of women and young girls.
The international refugee crisis from the Sahel region to Afghanistan is putting enormous pressure on regional nations – and leading to problems further afield. Hence, the international community needs to assist nations and listen to respective leaders (irrespective of the Taliban or military leaders in the Sahel region) – rather than fueling wars, enforcing sanctions that hinder the poor and marginalized, or dictating to nations.
Iran’s Minister of the Interior (Iskandar Momeni) stated that Iran had deported approximately 1.1 million Afghans between March 2024 and the early period of 2025. Hence, with Pakistan also being determined to deport millions of Afghans, the international community must help Afghanistan.
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