Mass deportation of Afghans from Iran and Pakistan point to urgent need for employment, aid

Kabul [Afghanistan], August 6 : With the expulsion of thousands of Afghan migrants from Iran, many claim they had worked for years in sectors such as agriculture, construction, and technical professions, Tolo News reported.

Abdul Rahim, who worked in agriculture in Iran for four years, said that if employment opportunities are available in Afghanistan, he can support his six-member family with his skills. "We have now returned to our own country. We used to work in agriculture there. If an opportunity arises here in the agricultural sector, I would be happy because I have skills in this field," he told Tolo News.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced that from the beginning of 2025 to August 1, more than 2.1 million Afghans have been deported from Iran and Pakistan. According to the report, from April 1 to the end of July alone, 1.4 million people were deported from Iran and over 303,000 from Pakistan to Afghanistan.

Part of the report stated: "Since 1 April as of July 30, 1.4 million Afghans returned from Iran and 303,300 from Pakistan to Afghanistan. Over 2.1 million Afghans from Iran and Pakistan have returned in 2025. Despite high protection and basic needs, the Afghanistan situation is critically underfunded, receiving only 24 per cent of the required $478 million for this year."

Another deported migrant told Tolo News, "If the work we did in Iran was available in our own country, we would never go to Iran. The Iranian government and people mistreated us. We rented houses there, and they would not pay us our wages."

Abdul Jabbar, another deportee, said, "We have become old men, and there is no more work for us. Job opportunities should be created for the youth so they don't become migrants."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs has announced that a special system has been created to identify and register migrants' skills, and so far, more than 110,000 deported migrants from neighbouring countries have been registered.

Samiullah Ebrahimi, spokesperson for the ministry, told Tolo News, "A system has been created to register their skills. So far, more than 110,000 migrants have been registered in this system who have experience and expertise in fields such as education. This list is shared with government and private institutions to provide employment opportunities according to their qualifications."

Previously, deported migrants from Iran and Pakistan had also expressed concern about their difficult conditions, saying they live in harsh situations due to lack of shelter, unemployment, and basic services, Tolo News reported.

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