Key Takeaways
- A record 256,000 undocumented Afghan migrants returned to Afghanistan from Iran in June, sparking a humanitarian crisis.
- The mass deportation of illegal Afghan migrants from Iran has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan.
- The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is working to provide assistance to those in need, but is hindered by funding gaps and critical resource shortages.
Tehran: A record 256,000 undocumented Afghan migrants returned to their homeland from Iran in June, and there are no resources to help them, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) said.
On Friday, the Afghanistan International news portal reported that officials in the western Afghan province of Herat announced a nascent humanitarian crisis, which was triggered by the mass deportation of illegal Afghan migrants from Iran.
“The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is raising the alarm over an unprecedented surge in undocumented Afghan migrants returning from Iran, with over 256,000 people arriving in June alone. This record movement is pushing border resources to the brink, while critical funding gaps hinder the ability of IOM and partners to provide assistance, reaching only 10 per cent of those in need,” the organization said in a statement on Monday.
According to IOM data, 714,572 Afghan migrants returned from Iran between January 1 and June 29, 99% of whom were undocumented and 70% were forcibly returned, the statement added.
