According to Khaama Press, the number of Afghan refugees in Iran has seen a significant increase over the past two years, rising from around 2 million to 5 million.
The Iranian Interior Ministry has confirmed this surge, attributing it to the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan. Many Afghan people have relocated to Iran due to factors such as unemployment and the uncertain future in Afghanistan.
Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, recently commented on this migration trend, expressing concerns about the influx of migrants, many of whom enter the country illegally. He called for a reevaluation of Iran’s policies toward the Taliban, who now govern Afghanistan. Tehran newspapers have also raised concerns about the issue of Afghan migrants in Iran.
The state-owned newspaper ‘Iran’ highlighted the words of a political analyst, emphasizing that anti-Afghan sentiment poses a security threat. The analyst noted that out of the 5 to 6 million Afghan migrants in Iran, only a small percentage entered illegally, while the majority obtained visas for their relocation. However, accurate and official statistics on Afghan individuals entering Iran from Afghanistan are currently unavailable.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, there has been an increase in Afghan migration, particularly to neighboring countries like Pakistan and Iran. Earlier in August, the Taliban-led Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations of Afghanistan reported that over 700 Afghan refugees had returned from Iran, as documented by Khaama Press, which is based in Afghanistan.