KABUL: The UN on Tuesday voiced concern over a surge in Afghan families deported from Iran, recording a more than two-fold increase in May from the previous month, as the rise in returnees squeeze’s Afghanistan’s resources.

Afghanistan’s border points with Iran regularly see a steady stream of Afghans returning forcibly or voluntarily after crossing into the neighbouring country, often seeking work.

But in May, there was “sharp rise in the forced return of Afghan nationals” from Iran, the International Organisa­tion for Migration (IOM) said in a statement.

“Particularly alarming is a significant surge in the number of families being deported — a new and concerning trend, as returnees deported in previous months were predominantly single young men,” it added. The IOM said 15,675 Afghan families had crossed the border from Iran in May compared to 6,879 in April.

The number of Afghan families without legal documentation in Iran returning to Afghanistan last month was three times higher than in May last year, it added.

According to the IOM, Iranian officials issued a public statement in late May ordering Afghans without documentation to remain in Iran to leave by July 6, “potentially affecting up to 4 million people”.

Already since January this year, more than 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran, the IOM said.

Iran, which shares a 900-kilometre border with Afghanistan, hosts one of the largest refugee populations in the world, including millions of Afghans who arrived over the past 40 years after fleeing conflict.

The Taliban authorities — still unrecognised by any other country — have consistently called for Afghans to be allowed a “dignified” return to Afghanistan.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2025