In Past Two Months, the Bodies of Approximately 100 Afghan Migrants Have Been Transferred from Iran to Afghanistan.

BBC Persian website, quoting Sayed Sulaiman Agha Bahir, the deputy governor of Nimroz, has reported that in the past two months, the bodies of nearly 100 Afghan migrants who died in Iran have been transferred to Nimroz province. The report cites traffic accidents, natural deaths, executions by the Iranian government, and shootings by Iranian border guards as the causes of death.

Mr. Bahir told local media in Nimroz that on some days, up to five bodies of Afghan migrants are transferred from Iran to Nimroz.

The report, quoting the Iran Human Rights Organization, states that over the past three years, the execution rate of Afghan citizens in Iran has been on the rise. Since 2022, 90 Afghan migrants have been executed in that country, with 13 executed in the past month alone, accused of various crimes.

Additionally, there have been numerous reports of deliberate shootings by Iranian soldiers at Afghan migrants. The Hal Vash Human Rights Organization reported last month that hundreds of Afghan migrants attempting to cross the border in the Saravan region were killed or injured by direct gunfire from Iranian border guards.

At the time, officials from Afghanistan’s caretaker government confirmed this incident after several days, reporting that two people were killed and 34 others injured due to shootings and landmine explosions on the Afghanistan-Iran border, with victims being transferred back into Afghanistan. They also confirmed the presence of other victims from this incident in Iran and Pakistan, mentioning efforts to bring them back to Afghanistan.

On October 22, Hal Vash reported again that a group of 150 Afghan migrants faced landmine explosions and shootings by Iranian soldiers in border areas, resulting in deaths, injuries, and disappearances.

Earlier this month (Qaws), the media outlet also reported that three Afghan migrants were killed in two separate incidents due to direct shootings by Iranian border soldiers in the Saravan region of Sistan and Baluchistan.

Recently, Iran has adopted a stricter policy against Afghan migrants. Along with intensifying the deportation of millions of Afghan refugees, it has also tightened border controls. By resorting to shootings and killings without regard for international laws or the rights of migrants and refugees, Iran aims to curb the migration crisis.

So far, no tangible or effective actions have been seen from international organizations, the global community, or Afghanistan’s caretaker government to improve the situation of migrants or defend their rights in Iran.