Afghans deported from Iran amid a continuing crackdown on undocumented migrants said authorities there tortured them but deprivation back home was so extreme they are determined to return, Sky News reported on Wednesday.
Expulsions soared after a 12-day war with Israel in June in which Afghans were accused by officials of being potential fifth-columnists collaborating with Iran's foeas Tehran sought to boost populist bona fides after the bruising conflict.
Struggling with deepening economic malaise, Iran has been accused by rights groups of unfairly targeting the Afghan community as it faces dire poverty and repression by Taliban authorities back home.
More than 1.3 million Afghans have been expelled this year, many arriving exhausted and traumatized at the Islam Qala border crossing before being transferred to Herat, according to the report.
Deportees, including young men with scars on their bodies and faces, described violent arrests and beatings by Iranian police.
Rohullah Mohammadi said he was robbed and beaten, suffering an ear injury. “Is this how Islam is supposed to be practiced?” he asked.
Sky News said claims of mistreatment were submitted to Iranian authorities for comment, but no response was received.
Women and girls expressed despair over returning to Afghanistan, citing Taliban restrictions on education and employment.
One woman cried about unpaid work in Iran, while unaccompanied minors such as 15-year-old Tahir described over two weeks of abuse, being forced to sleep on concrete floors and kicked for protesting.
Despite the hardship, poverty forces many to consider returning. Tahir, reunited with his family after two years, said, “I love my homeland, but if there is no work here, how can I survive? I must work.”
His mother said life in Afghanistan is too difficult, while another young man supporting six family members said there are no local job opportunities.
Attempts by Afghan citizens to cross illegally into Iran have doubled over the past six months compared with the same period last year, a senior Iranian border commander said on Tuesday.
Iran set a September deadline for undocumented Afghans to leave, with reports indicating that even some legal residents were expelled.
Human rights groups warn that Afghanistan, already under strain from Taliban rule and Pakistani deportations, is nearing a breaking point.
