Over a million Afghans have been forcibly deported from Iran this year, overwhelming Kabul’s returnee camps as families plead for aid, shelter, and international action….reports Asian Lite News
Seven years after leaving Afghanistan in search of a better life, Zia now finds himself back in his homeland—displaced, homeless, and struggling for survival in a makeshift returnee camp in Kabul. Like thousands of others recently expelled from Iran, he is trapped between the pain of exile and the hardship of an unwelcoming homecoming.
Zia had migrated to Iran hoping to provide a stable future for his family. But rising pressure on Afghan migrants in Iran has seen a sharp escalation in forced deportations. “We were under pressure, they fined us and deported us,” Zia told Tolo News. “Now we’re left with only 200 million tomans, and just half of that is in our hands. The UN provides some aid, but it’s barely enough to survive. We have no home now.”
His story reflects the plight of a growing population of returnees—many of whom are children—living in fragile shelters across Afghanistan. For Zia’s children, the years of displacement have left deep scars. And in the camps, those traumas persist amid overcrowding, poor sanitation, and an uncertain future.
The humanitarian crisis has prompted the United Nations to step in. On Tuesday, Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for UN Secretary-General António Guterres, announced that $10 million from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF) would be allocated to support Afghan returnees from Iran. The decision, taken by UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher, comes amid a rapid surge in deportations.
“There’s been a surge of returns from Iran in recent weeks,” Dujarric said. “The new funding will help expand support for the most vulnerable, especially women and children, as they arrive and settle in their areas of return.”
According to UN figures, nearly 339,000 people were deported from Iran in just the first 12 days of July. Alarmingly, over 60 percent of them were part of family units, with 43 percent being children under 18. The overall number of deported Afghans from Iran since January has now crossed 1.1 million.
During a recent visit to Tehran, UN High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi raised concerns about the scale and speed of the deportations. He reportedly urged Iranian authorities to halt forced removals, especially given the precarious conditions in Afghanistan.
But critics argue that words alone are not enough. Mohammad Jamal Muslim, a migrant rights activist, told Tolo News that the UN’s approach remains deeply flawed. “Multilateral meetings might send a message, but the UN takes a selective approach toward Third World countries,” he said. “So far, they have done little of real value for the citizens in need.”
As humanitarian agencies scramble to provide food, shelter, and medical aid, returnees like Zia continue to bear the brunt of a regional crisis. Their stories, marked by despair and resilience, underscore the need for more sustained and inclusive international support.
Taliban Sends Diplomats to Berlin
Afghanistan’s caretaker government has re-established its diplomatic presence in Germany by sending two senior envoys, Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz and Mostafa Hashimi, to its embassy in Berlin, Tolo News reported, citing a reliable source. The move marks a renewed push to deliver consular services to Afghan nationals across Europe and potentially reset relations with the West.
Though Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi stopped short of publicly confirming the diplomats’ names, he acknowledged the appointment and praised Qatar’s behind-the-scenes role in facilitating the process.
“We will continue talks and negotiations with Germany, and God willing, there will be further progress. We also thank Qatar for its mediation, which, after several months of continuous efforts, led to this agreement,” Muttaqi stated.
The dispatch of diplomats also paves the way for the reopening of the Afghan passport printing centre in Bonn, which has remained shut for nearly four years. According to Shoib Baryalai, Director of Consular Services at Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the resumption of passport issuance will be a major relief for Afghan migrants in Europe, many of whom have faced bureaucratic limbo without valid documentation.
“We will soon resume passport services in Bonn. This centre will serve Afghan nationals across Europe and help address a long-standing issue,” Baryalai said.
Although the German government maintains that its interactions with Afghanistan’s caretaker administration remain unofficial and technical, analysts see the move as indicative of a pragmatic thaw. Najib Rahman Shamal, a political commentator, noted that Germany’s decision may be motivated by the need for direct communication regarding issues such as refugee deportations.
“Germany has consistently sought a mechanism to engage directly with the current Afghan government. This step may reflect a shift in how Berlin navigates its Afghanistan policy,” Shamal said.
Nebras-ul-Haq Aziz previously served at the Islamic Emirate’s political office in Qatar, while Mostafa Hashimi held a position in the Foreign Ministry’s Consular Affairs Department.
This diplomatic revival comes on the heels of a call by Germany’s Interior Minister for direct engagement with Kabul without third-party mediation — a possible sign of changing European calculations in dealing with the Taliban-led government.
