The forced return of Afghans from Iran

In May 2025, the Iranian authorities issued an ultimatum ordering four million Afghans living in the country to leave. This triggered a violent and massive exodus. To date, more than 1.5 million people have already been sent back to Afghanistan.  

In a country where 22 million people already are in need of humanitarian aid, this population movement represents an immense shock, especially as it comes at a time when the humanitarian sector is facing enormous challenges : in April 2025, the United States ceased all its funding, which alone accounted for 40% of international aid in the country. 

A forced exodus: “Returning was never a choice” 

Afghanistan’s turbulent history has frequently led to migration, particularly during the civil war of the 1990s. Many people have therefore been living in Iran for more than thirty years; some no longer have any connection to their country of origin. Added to this are a million new arrivals who fled the Taliban takeover in 2021. 

Last summer, when the expulsions accelerated, became militarized and turned violent, the shock was complete. “Some families received a call telling them that a relative had been arrested at their workplace and that they had a few hours to introduce themselves to detention centers and leave the country”, explains Abdul Malek Sediqi, program manager at Nimroz for SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL. Some are detained for document checks from 24 hours to a week, without access to safe drinking water and proper toilets, in the sun even in summer, before being sent back to Afghanistan. 

The situation at the border is tragic. Some days see more than 50,000 new arrivals. People are traumatized, desperate, exhausted, and often dehydrated. Most of them don’t have any money.

Women are concerned about the discrimination they will face, and their clothing—deemed inappropriate in the Afghan context—sometimes causes problems from the very first hours. Returning is not an option. 

Welcoming people as soon as they arrive at the border 

It was amid this chaos that, on July 1, 2025, SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL received an alert: thousands of people were being dropped off by the Iranian authorities at the Milak border post, near the small town of Nimroz. 

“When we arrived on site, there was practically nothing: six or seven latrines for thousands of people, water that had to be paid for and was not always safe to drink, no shade, and temperatures of over 42°C,” says Abdul Malek Sediqi. 

Most returnees spend at least one night outside, at the border crossing point, in conditions that are dangerous to their health and safety. This is why SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL has chosen to focus its efforts on Nimroz and Herat, the two official border crossings with Iran. Our teams bring free drinking water by truck, as well as blocks of ice to cool it. With temperatures reaching 40 to 50°C, the water quickly becomes unusable for drinking or personal hygiene. “We had to act quickly to prevent the risk of an epidemic and meet basic needs: drinking, washing, and protection from heat and cold,” explains the program manager. Complete sanitary containers were installed, including toilets, sinks, and access for people with disabilities. Septic tanks were also emptied. 

An uncertain future  

Despite these difficult conditions and the lack of links with their home villages, some refugees choose to stay in Nimroz because this dynamic city offers opportunities for daily construction work. Many are also looking for an opportunity to return to Iran, a country from which they had to leave their jobs, bank accounts and plans for the future behind. This has led to the creation of informal neighbourhoods, where SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL provides drinking water, tarpaulins and financial aid. 

Header photo:© Abdul Fahim Ahmadi / SOLIDARITÉS INTERNATIONAL