Iran has been on the receiving end of Afghan refugees for decades, since the war against Soviet occupiers in Afghanistan in the 1980s. In recent years, however, Iranian sentiment toward Afghans has become increasingly negative as more have fled their homeland following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, and Iranians contend with a deteriorating economy.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Afghan immigrants in Iran is around 3 million. However, this number is likely higher, given the wave of new arrivals, many of them undocumented. In the aftermath of a series of earthquakes in October in the western Afghan city of Herat, Iranian officials expressed concern about a potential new influx. The chairman of Iran’s Migration Organization, Abdollah Mobini, said that Iran has long been a destination for Afghan refugees but that this support cannot be “sustained indefinitely.”
Afghan immigrants face a web of challenges stemming from government policies and societal attitudes. Afghans often have restricted access to healthcare, education, and other public services. Immigration policies have been inconsistent, oscillating between temporary work permits and mass deportations.
The government frequently detains undocumented immigrants without due process. Due to their precarious legal status, Afghan immigrants are often exploited in the labor market. According to an Iranian podcast called Border Radio or Radio Marz, Afghans can find only the most difficult and dangerous jobs, like working in a brick furnace. Sajjad, an Afghan immigrant living in Qom, managed to secure an office job, a rarity for people in his situation, but without a formal contract or any social benefits like insurance.
Afghan immigrants face discrimination in various social settings, including schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Layla, an Afghan immigrant residing in Varamin, was not allowed to sit for her final exams because her residency card had been issued in Shahr-e Rey, a different city. Left with no other option, she had to make the arduous journey back to Shahr-e Rey each year to renew her card while grappling with the emotional toll of her disrupted education.
Afghan immigrants are often subjected to cultural stereotypes that further marginalize them and limit their opportunities. Among them, considering all Afghans to be Talibans, perceiving Afghans as lazy and incompetent, seeing the refugees as job stealers or criminals. According to a recent report by BBC Persian, some officials in the government of President Ebrahim Raisi are trying to blame Iran’s problems on Afghan immigrants. The conservative newspaper Jomhuri-e-Eslami newspaper has warned about the immigrants’ high birth rate and called that a threat to national security.
Top of FormNegative media portrayals exacerbate the marginalization of Afghans in Iran. Reza, an Afghan resident in Isfahan, was appalled by a program on Iranian television that fed stereotypes of Afghan immigrants as poor, uneducated, and inferior. Reza mentioned a TV show called Outbreak, which is no longer available online, that accused an Afghan of carrying a virus biologically engineered by the United States into Iran. Afghans are also associated with crime and unemployment and the narrative is amplified by viral social media posts.
While the Iranian government has not officially acknowledged the rise in Afghanophobia, its inconsistent policies and lack of legal protections for Afghan immigrants contribute to the phenomenon.
Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s Minister of the Interior, has stated that Afghan immigrants “do not pose a security challenge for Iran.” However, there have been several terrorist incidents involving Afghans, including the stabbing to death of two clerics in Mashhad in 2022.
Iranian diplomats have engaged with Afghan authorities to try to stem the influx. Seyyed Hassan Mortazavi, the deputy ambassador of Iran to Afghanistan, asked Taliban officials to “adopt policies that encourage Afghan immigrants in Iran to return to Afghanistan.”
Some NGOs and civil society organizations are working to improve conditions for Afghan immigrants, but a lack of funding and political will often hampers their efforts. Social media influencers such as Katayoun Keshvarzi, who has a large following on Instagram, uses their platforms to raise awareness about Afghanophobia. Keshvarzi criticizes Iranians for fighting for democracy in the country while at the same time exhibiting racism and xenophobia toward Afghan immigrants.
Recently, the Shargh newspaper criticized the government, asking, “Which country in the world can be found that is so unplanned and without an immigration policy, hosting a wave of immigrants? Why?”
The Afghan government has expressed concern over the treatment of its nationals in Iran but has been largely ineffective in negotiating better conditions. At the same time, the Taliban’s Ministry of Immigrants has reported that “a thousand to more than two thousand” immigrants are returning to Afghanistan from Iran daily.
Rahamatullah Bizhanpur, a former Minister of Immigrants in Afghanistan in the 1990s before the first Taliban takeover, said Iran’s requests to the Taliban are unreasonable. In an interview, he described the current Afghan regime as “lacking in system,” adding that it “does not take into account the rights of subjects and citizens,” let alone Afghan refugees.
The UNHCR has actively supported Iran’s efforts to assist Afghan refugees for decades. It collaborates with the Iranian government and other international organizations to provide a range of services and support, including healthcare, education, vocational training, and legal assistance. The UN organization also distributes essential items like food, clothing, and shelter, particularly for newly arrived refugees. For those Afghans who choose to return to Afghanistan, UNHCR assists in repatriation and support in reintegrating into Afghan society.
UNHCR encourages the international community to support Iran in hosting a large refugee population and gathers data on the Afghan refugee population in Iran, which is vital for policy formulation and resource allocation. The budget allocated for these activities varies from year to year. Iran received $114.1 million for 2023, which is $5.3 million less than in 2022, while the number of immigrants has increased
The plight of Afghan immigrants in Iran is not just a policy issue but a humanitarian crisis that demands additional attention. Both the Iranian government and civil society need to play a role in alleviating the immigrants’ suffering and combating Afghanophobia. These immigrants’ challenges require multi-faceted solutions involving policy changes, grassroots initiatives, and assistance from international organizations.
Maryam Rezaei Zadeh is a Faculty Assistant and Mentor for Persian House, part of the Persian Capstone year-long program at the Persian Flagship Program, University of Maryland, and an intern in the Middle East Voices program at the Stimson Center. Her research and academic interests lie at the intersection of international security and relations, focusing on empowering and advocating for women’s and marginalized groups’ rights in the Middle East.
The Afghan Immigrant Crisis in Iran and the Rise of Afghanophobia
By Maryam Rezaei Zadeh
Middle East & North Africa
Iran has been on the receiving end of Afghan refugees for decades, since the war against Soviet occupiers in Afghanistan in the 1980s. In recent years, however, Iranian sentiment toward Afghans has become increasingly negative as more have fled their homeland following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, and Iranians contend with a deteriorating economy.
According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the number of Afghan immigrants in Iran is around 3 million. However, this number is likely higher, given the wave of new arrivals, many of them undocumented. In the aftermath of a series of earthquakes in October in the western Afghan city of Herat, Iranian officials expressed concern about a potential new influx. The chairman of Iran’s Migration Organization, Abdollah Mobini, said that Iran has long been a destination for Afghan refugees but that this support cannot be “sustained indefinitely.”
Afghan immigrants face a web of challenges1 Kamrava, Mehran, and Zahra Babar. 2012. Migrant Labor in the Persian Gulf. New York: Columbia University Press. stemming from government policies and societal attitudes. Afghans often have restricted access to healthcare, education, and other public services. Immigration policies have been inconsistent, oscillating between temporary work permits and mass deportations.
The government frequently detains undocumented immigrants without due process. Due to their precarious legal status, Afghan immigrants are often exploited in the labor market. According to an Iranian podcast called Border Radio or Radio Marz, Afghans can find only the most difficult and dangerous jobs, like working in a brick furnace. Sajjad, an Afghan immigrant living in Qom, managed to secure an office job, a rarity for people in his situation, but without a formal contract or any social benefits like insurance.
Afghan immigrants face discrimination in various social settings, including schools, workplaces, and public spaces. Layla, an Afghan immigrant residing in Varamin, was not allowed to sit for her final exams because her residency card had been issued in Shahr-e Rey, a different city. Left with no other option, she had to make the arduous journey back to Shahr-e Rey each year to renew her card while grappling with the emotional toll of her disrupted education.
Afghan immigrants are often subjected to cultural stereotypes that further marginalize them and limit their opportunities. Among them, considering all Afghans to be Talibans, perceiving Afghans as lazy and incompetent, seeing the refugees as job stealers or criminals. According to a recent report by BBC Persian, some officials in the government of President Ebrahim Raisi are trying to blame Iran’s problems on Afghan immigrants. The conservative newspaper Jomhuri-e-Eslami newspaper has warned about the immigrants’ high birth rate and called that a threat to national security.
Top of FormNegative media portrayals exacerbate the marginalization of Afghans in Iran. Reza, an Afghan resident in Isfahan, was appalled by a program on Iranian television that fed stereotypes of Afghan immigrants as poor, uneducated, and inferior. Reza mentioned a TV show called Outbreak, which is no longer available online, that accused an Afghan of carrying a virus biologically engineered by the United States into Iran. Afghans are also associated with crime and unemployment and the narrative is amplified by viral social media posts.
While the Iranian government has not officially acknowledged the rise in Afghanophobia, its inconsistent policies and lack of legal protections for Afghan immigrants contribute to the phenomenon.
Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s Minister of the Interior, has stated that Afghan immigrants “do not pose a security challenge for Iran.” However, there have been several terrorist incidents involving Afghans, including the stabbing to death of two clerics in Mashhad in 2022.
Iranian diplomats have engaged with Afghan authorities to try to stem the influx. Seyyed Hassan Mortazavi, the deputy ambassador of Iran to Afghanistan, asked Taliban officials to “adopt policies that encourage Afghan immigrants in Iran to return to Afghanistan.”
Some NGOs and civil society organizations are working to improve conditions for Afghan immigrants, but a lack of funding and political will often hampers their efforts. Social media influencers such as Katayoun Keshvarzi, who has a large following on Instagram, uses their platforms to raise awareness about Afghanophobia. Keshvarzi criticizes Iranians for fighting for democracy in the country while at the same time exhibiting racism and xenophobia toward Afghan immigrants.
Recently, the Shargh newspaper criticized the government, asking, “Which country in the world can be found that is so unplanned and without an immigration policy, hosting a wave of immigrants? Why?”
The Afghan government has expressed concern over the treatment of its nationals in Iran but has been largely ineffective in negotiating better conditions. At the same time, the Taliban’s Ministry of Immigrants has reported that “a thousand to more than two thousand” immigrants are returning to Afghanistan from Iran daily.
Rahamatullah Bizhanpur, a former Minister of Immigrants in Afghanistan in the 1990s before the first Taliban takeover, said Iran’s requests to the Taliban are unreasonable. In an interview, he described the current Afghan regime as “lacking in system,” adding that it “does not take into account the rights of subjects and citizens,” let alone Afghan refugees.
The UNHCR has actively supported Iran’s efforts to assist Afghan refugees for decades. It collaborates with the Iranian government and other international organizations to provide a range of services and support, including healthcare, education, vocational training, and legal assistance. The UN organization also distributes essential items like food, clothing, and shelter, particularly for newly arrived refugees. For those Afghans who choose to return to Afghanistan, UNHCR assists in repatriation and support in reintegrating into Afghan society.
UNHCR encourages the international community to support Iran in hosting a large refugee population and gathers data on the Afghan refugee population in Iran, which is vital for policy formulation and resource allocation. The budget allocated for these activities varies from year to year. Iran received $114.1 million for 2023, which is $5.3 million less than in 2022, while the number of immigrants has increased
The plight of Afghan immigrants in Iran is not just a policy issue but a humanitarian crisis that demands additional attention. Both the Iranian government and civil society need to play a role in alleviating the immigrants’ suffering and combating Afghanophobia. These immigrants’ challenges require multi-faceted solutions involving policy changes, grassroots initiatives, and assistance from international organizations.
Maryam Rezaei Zadeh is a Faculty Assistant and Mentor for Persian House, part of the Persian Capstone year-long program at the Persian Flagship Program, University of Maryland, and an intern in the Middle East Voices program at the Stimson Center. Her research and academic interests lie at the intersection of international security and relations, focusing on empowering and advocating for women’s and marginalized groups’ rights in the Middle East.
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