Afghanistan Times
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KABUL — Over one million Afghans have been expelled or pressured to leave Iran this year, as Tehran intensifies its crackdown on refugees amid escalating geopolitical tensions following recent Israeli airstrikes. The mass deportations mark a sharp escalation in regional instability, forcing vulnerable populations back into an Afghanistan already struggling under economic collapse and international isolation.
This exodus exposes a grim reality: millions of Afghans who sought safety in Iran now face the harsh prospect of returning to a Taliban-ruled country where social freedoms are curtailed and economic opportunities are scarce. According to the United Nations, many returnees risk facing serious human rights abuses, including arbitrary detention, repression, and restricted access to essential services.
The accelerated expulsions reflect growing suspicion and xenophobia within Iran, where refugees have long navigated legal uncertainty and social marginalization. Cut off from formal education, healthcare, and employment, many Afghans lived on the margins of Iranian society, vulnerable to sudden policy shifts and crackdowns.
Meanwhile, neighboring Pakistan has also stepped up deportations, removing over a million undocumented Afghans since 2023, citing security and economic concerns. This regional rollback of refugee protections threatens to overwhelm Afghanistan’s already fragile infrastructure and deepen its humanitarian challenges.
With international aid dramatically reduced following U.S. funding cuts, Afghanistan faces a mounting crisis: a sudden influx of returnees amid shrinking resources, soaring food insecurity, and crumbling public services. The strain risks sparking wider instability that could reverberate across South and Central Asia.
For Western policymakers, the challenge is stark. Afghanistan’s unfolding crisis demands a reevaluation of aid strategies and migration policies that balance security interests with humanitarian obligations. Ignoring the plight of millions caught between hostile neighbors and an authoritarian regime risks perpetuating cycles of displacement, extremism, and regional unrest.
As the world’s attention shifts, Afghanistan stands at a crossroads—one where renewed global engagement and innovative solutions could help stabilize a volatile region or, if neglected, plunge millions into deeper uncertainty and despair.
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