The Kabul Tribune (KT) — Iranian authorities say they have prevented more than 40,000 Afghan nationals from entering the country illegally in the first six months of this year — nearly double the number recorded during the same period last year.
Majid Shoja, the border commander of Khorasan Razavi
province, told Iranian media that about 19,000 Afghans were stopped during the
first half of last year, compared with over 40,000 this year.
Shoja said the increase may be linked to Iran’s mass
deportations of Afghan migrants in recent months, which he suggested could be
prompting more people to attempt reentry.
The comments come as Iran carries out the second phase of
deportations of Afghan refugees, with forced returns continuing amid growing
pressure on undocumented migrants.
Iran hosts millions of Afghans who fled decades of war,
poverty, and persecution, but authorities have intensified deportations since
the Taliban regime took power in Kabul in 2021.
