Iran targets Afghan migrants, Pakistan to expel 1.4 million more Afghans

Iran has launched a sweeping crackdown on Afghan migrants, targeting them for deportation and alleged security threats, according to official reports. “All unauthorized foreigners must exit the country,” the national police command was instructed, according to Iranian state media. “Any home or property rented to Afghans will have its lease annulled and the property sealed and confiscated,” Border police chief Brigadier General Ahmad-Ali Goudarzi warned.
The directive follows a wider security sweep across Iran, with Afghan migrants increasingly targeted for alleged ties to Israel. According to Afghanistan International, Iranian police in multiple cities have been confiscating Afghan migrants’ mobile phones, claiming suspicion of “communication with Israel.” Tehran’s provincial governor, Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian, said arrests and deportations of Afghan migrants have increased three to fourfold. 
Taliban officials in Herat said over the past two days, more than 60,000 Afghan migrants have entered the country from Iran through the Islam Qala border crossing. According to Ahmadullah Muttaqi, head of Information and Culture in Herat, most of these migrants have returned voluntarily.He stated that the residency permits of thousands of Afghan migrants in Iran have expired, economic challenges and unemployment have worsened there, and the Iranian government has increased deportations, all of which have led to a new wave of daily returns.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported that over one million Afghans have returned to the country in 2025. UNAMA states quoting United Nations Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General in Afghanistan, Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator, Indrika Ratwatte that this comes at a time when Afghanistan is facing climate change challenges and widespread poverty, and most returnees lack shelter and support.
As the third phase of the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from Pakistan approaches, the repatriation process through the Spin Boldak crossing has intensified.According to local officials, more than a hundred families are being returned to the country each day.Several Afghan migrants recently deported from Pakistan say the Pakistani government not only prevented them from working but also denied them access to basic necessities. as per report,  the Pakistani government has announced that in the third phase of Afghan migrant deportations—including those with P.O.R. (Proof of Registration) cards—nearly 1.4 million more Afghans will be expelled from the country.