The Iran Regime is forcing out Afghan refugees with Israel as the excuse

In what amounts to one of the largest mass expulsions in recent history, Iran has deported more than 1.1 million Afghan refugees since the beginning of the year. The campaign has intensified in recent weeks, with as many as 40,000 people dumped at the Afghan border in a matter of hours. These actions, which have gone largely unnoticed by the international community, come in the wake of Iran’s escalating tensions with Israel and amid mounting domestic pressures.

Afghans in Iran are being scapegoated as national security threats, accused of everything from petty crime to espionage on behalf of Israel. Following the recent Iran–Israel hostilities, Tehran has turned its attention inward, purging communities it now views with suspicion. Afghan refugees, many of whom have lived in Iran for decades, have become the easiest targets.

The deportations are not merely bureaucratic removals. According to humanitarian workers on the ground, many Afghans are forced across the border with no prior notice, often left in scorching desert heat with no shelter, food, or documentation. The International Organization for Migration has stated that more than half a million Afghans were returned between June 1 and July 9 alone, overwhelming border facilities in western Afghanistan. Only a fraction of them receive any form of humanitarian aid.

Women and children are disproportionately affected, arriving traumatized, dehydrated, and with nowhere to go. Many have never lived under the Taliban regime and now face an uncertain and perilous future. These deportations, carried out en masse and with apparent disregard for due process, raise serious concerns under international law. Human rights groups have warned that Iran may be violating the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits returning people to a country where they may face danger or persecution.

Iran’s actions have a clear political undertone. The refugee purge coincides with Tehran’s posturing in the aftermath of its military confrontation with Israel and growing regional isolation. By portraying Afghan refugees as infiltrators or security liabilities, the regime not only distracts from domestic discontent but also signals its readiness to act with impunity on its borders.

Not to be outdone, Pakistan has embarked on its own mass deportation drive. Since October 2023, nearly 800,000 Afghans have been expelled from the country, with another 60,000 forced out since April this year. Pakistan’s leadership justifies the move as a response to security concerns and economic strain. But behind the scenes, analysts say the expulsions are part of Islamabad’s broader strategy to pressure the Taliban government in Kabul and realign its internal dynamics ahead of political shifts.

The results have been catastrophic. Families are being torn apart, children separated from parents, and long-term residents—many born in Pakistan—are being cast out like criminals. Some have never set foot in Afghanistan and are being sent to a country they barely know, under a regime they fear. Women’s rights activists, journalists, and ethnic minorities are especially vulnerable, with reports of arrests and abuse surfacing from both sides of the border.

What unites Iran and Pakistan in this moment is their shared sense of political opportunity. With the world distracted by conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza, and the Indo-Pacific, both countries are exploiting the vacuum of international attention to execute their respective deportation agendas. The Taliban, meanwhile, is ill-equipped to manage the influx, with Afghanistan still reeling from economic collapse and widespread repression.

The consequences of these mass returns are already spilling over. Afghanistan’s fragile infrastructure is buckling under the strain. Housing is inadequate, food is scarce, and social tensions are rising. The Red Cross has warned that at least a million more may be expelled by Iran before the year ends. Pakistan’s plans are similarly ambitious, with government sources suggesting that as many as three million Afghans could be sent back by early next year.

This is not simply a refugee crisis. It is a coordinated political maneuver that weaponizes displacement, punishes the vulnerable, and destabilizes an already volatile region. And unless the international community moves beyond perfunctory statements and takes concrete action—through sanctions, aid, or diplomatic intervention—millions will pay the price for the geopolitical ambitions of a few.