HANA Warns Iran Deportations Could Put Afghan Women, Children at Grave Risk

KABUL, Afghanistan – The Human Rights Organization HANA has issued a stark warning that the ongoing deportation of undocumented Afghans from Iran could expose women, children, and other vulnerable groups to serious protection risks upon their forced return to Afghanistan.

In a report published on Monday, August 10, HANA detailed the specific dangers facing deported children, including family separation, disruption to education, lack of legal identity, exploitation, and unsafe living conditions. Afghan women and girls face additional, heightened threats due to severe restrictions on education, employment, and freedom of movement imposed by the de facto authorities, coupled with a critical lack of adequate support networks in Afghanistan. “Simply labeling people as ‘undocumented migrants’ cannot replace an individual assessment of each person’s circumstances and protection needs,” HANA stated, calling for robust legal safeguards and humanitarian support before any returns are carried out.

Mass Deportations and Humanitarian Strain

The scale of the deportations is immense. Iran’s Interior Ministry announced on Sunday that approximately two million undocumented or unregistered Afghans have been deported since the beginning of the Iranian year 1404, which started in March 2025, and that the campaign is continuing. This mass expulsion has placed immense additional pressure on Afghanistan’s already fragile and underfunded humanitarian system.

Data from the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) shows that as of July 11, 2026, 315,800 Afghans had been deported from Iran, accounting for more than 83% of all recorded deportations to Afghanistan from neighboring countries during that period. Earlier UN reports indicated that over 120,000 Afghans were deported in the first three months of 2026 alone, with women and children making up 52% of the returnees a statistic that underscores the profound vulnerability of those being forced back.

International Law and Calls for Safeguards

The international community has repeatedly voiced alarm. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk has warned against the “involuntary returns” of Afghan refugees, calling it a violation of international human rights and refugee law, specifically the core principle of non-refoulement. A 2025 report by UNAMA and the UN Human Rights Office, titled “No Safe Haven,” documented that forcibly deported Afghans experienced serious rights violations at the hands of the de facto authorities, including arbitrary arrest, detention, and torture. Women and girls, individuals affiliated with the former government, media workers, and civil society members remain at grave risk of reprisals.

While UNHCR and other aid agencies are providing limited support including protection screenings, healthcare, accommodation, and financial assistance for the most vulnerable the resources are severely strained, and the needs are rapidly outpacing the aid available.

HANA’s final warning is clear: continued deportations without adequate legal and protection safeguards will significantly increase the vulnerability of Afghan women, children, and other at-risk groups, deepening a humanitarian crisis in a country already grappling with widespread poverty and limited opportunities.

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