Iran deports thousands of Afghan refugees, UN agency says
In the last week of October, Iran sent back more than 28,000 Afghans who fled across the border.
Iran is deporting thousands of Afghan refugees who fled the Taliban, including more than 28,000 in the last week of October, the UN’s migration agency said.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said Thursday that Iranian and Pakistani authorities have sent back more than 1 million Afghan migrants this year, as others are still trying to escape the conflict-ridden country. The IOM told Agence France-Presse that at least 3,200 unaccompanied children had returned from Iran this year.
“The majority were deported, returning to Afghanistan often broke and broken, in need of health support, food and rest,” IOM director general Antonio Vitorino said in a statement.
“The task of reuniting with family and reintegrating into communities — especially for those who have been in Iran or Pakistan for years — is tremendously difficult considering the high levels of unemployment and food insecurity,” Vitorinot added.
