More than 1,300 activists, artists, and journalists from both Iran and Afghanistan have signed an open letter addressed to the Islamic Republic, calling for an immediate halt to the mass deportation of Afghans, which has intensified following the Israel war.
“We are well aware that the phrase ‘deportation of illegal migrants’ is a euphemism for inhumane treatment of all migrants—both legal and illegal,” the letter said.
The signatories say that while the Iranian government previously justified deportations with claims such as curbing rising unemployment, in the aftermath of the 12-day war with Israel, it has begun using new allegations—accusing some Afghans of being “key espionage elements and part of an infiltration network.”
Following the ceasefire with Israel, Iran launched a sweeping crackdown on Afghan migrants, targeting them for deportation under alleged national security concerns, according to officials and media reports.
According to Afghanistan International, Iranian police in multiple cities have been confiscating Afghan migrants’ mobile phones, citing suspicions of “communication with Israel.”
Migrants—even those with valid residency documents—have reported being stopped at checkpoints or avoiding travel for fear of arrest.
Iran’s interior minister said on Wednesday that 400,000 foreign nationals have been deported over the past four months.
“The injustice currently being inflicted on Afghans and other voiceless minorities is, above all, a betrayal of the core values we uphold—humanity, justice, and freedom,” the letter reads.
Some prominent dissident public figures, including actresses Taraneh Alidoosti and Lili Farhadpour as well as human rights lawyer Mehrangiz Kar are among the signatories.
