Report in TOLOnews Online, Nov 06, 2023 at 8:28 PM
Officials at Herat’s Islam Qala crossing said that the number of refugees being deported from Iran has recently doubled—over 20,000 Afghans returned within one week.
The officials said that approximately 4,000 Afghan refugees have returned from Iran through Islam Qala port each day.
“The difference between Pakistan and Iran is that Pakistan has announced to expel the Afghan refugees but Iran is doing deportation in a hidden way,” said Abdullah Qayomi, an official at the Islam Qala border
The Afghans who have been deported from Iran voiced concerns about the mistreatment of the country’s government towards the refugees
They said that the police stormed into their houses during the night and detained them
“Pakistan started deportations and also Iran. I don’t know what their purpose is,” said Noor Ahmad, a deportee.
“There is a lot of detention. They beat [refugees] badly,” said Omid, a deportee.
Some of the refugees have claimed that their bosses have not paid their wages despite working for several months.
“They brought me to the camp while being captured with chains. Then they deported me and now I don’t have any money,” said Juma Gul, a deportee.
Earlier, Iran’s Interior Minister, Ahmad Wahidi warned that illegal Afghan migrants would be deported from its soil.
This comes as the deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, at the head of a high-level delegation, met with Wahidi in Tehran.
https://tolonews.com/index.php/afghanistan-185910
