Tehran- A sweeping forced return campaign by Iran has pushed over 250,000 Afghan refugees back across the border within a month, raising alarm among human rights groups. The deportation is part of Tehran’s drive to expel up to 4 million undocumented Afghans before a set deadline.
Most concerning is the rise in the number of lone women and children forced back into Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. These individuals now face a brutal legal system that restricts their movement, employment, and basic freedoms. Afghan laws forbid women from traveling alone or working without a male guardian, known as a mahram.
The Taliban’s return to power in 2021 reinstated these laws, creating a system critics describe as gender apartheid.
Detentions and Desperation
Stories from the Iran-Afghanistan border paint a grim picture. Sahar, a 40-year-old widow with five children, told journalists she was taken from a refugee camp near Shiraz. She pleaded for time to gather her belongings but was denied.
“They came at night,” she said. “I begged for two days to pack. They threw us out like garbage.”
Once rare, the deportation of women has now become routine. Afghan border officials report a sharp rise in unaccompanied female deportees arriving at Islam Qala in southern Afghanistan. Many are stranded, unable to travel home without a male relative. Others are turned away from shelter and aid services due to Taliban regulations.
Temperatures at the border have soared to 52°C, leading to multiple deaths. At least 13 bodies have arrived in recent weeks. Some may have died from heat, while others could be victims of conflict-related violence.
Stripped of Dignity
Deportees describe horrific treatment during transit. Zahra, another woman forced out, said drivers charged extortionate prices for water and mocked crying children. “They told us we were a waste,” she said.
Women arriving without documents or support face an uncertain future. Aid groups offer limited help, but lack resources for long-term care. Taliban authorities continue to deny land, employment, and travel rights to women without guardians.
The UN’s migration agency has called for more international support. However, without urgent intervention, deported women and children will remain exposed to extreme hardship, legal repression, and homelessness.
The consequences of this forced return are unfolding in real time—and the world is watching.
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