UNHCR: More than 439,000 Afghans deported from Iran in 2026
More than 439,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran so far this year, accounting for 84% of all returns from the country, according to a new report by the UN refugee agency.
UNHCR said 522,200 Afghans returned from Iran between Jan. 1 and Sept. 12, including 439,000 who were deported. The agency said large-scale returns are putting additional pressure on basic services, housing and livelihoods in Afghanistan and increasing risks of instability and further migration.
The figures follow an even larger wave of returns in 2025, when more than 1.9 million Afghans returned or were deported from Iran. About 1.26 million of those returns were deportations, including roughly 852,800 after June 13, according to UNHCR.
Monthly deportations surged to about 373,000 in July 2025 before declining. In 2026, the monthly figure stood at about 59,000 in August, up from 53,000 in July, according to a chart in the report.
UNHCR said returns increased significantly after headcount slips held by an estimated 2 million Afghan migrants in Iran expired in March 2025. Iranian authorities subsequently introduced a program requiring slip holders to undergo assessments to determine whether they could remain in the country.
Most of those returning this year have no formal documentation, the agency said.
UNHCR said 86% of all returnees were undocumented, while 14% held headcount slips. Among those deported, 88% were undocumented and 12% were headcount slip holders.
The report also highlights the vulnerability of those returning. Of returns recorded since the beginning of 2025, 39% were women and children, 27% were children and 45% were families. Among households assisted by UNHCR in Afghanistan, 41% were headed by women and 13% included at least one person with a disability.
Herat was the intended destination for 21% of returnees surveyed in 2026, the largest share of any province, followed by Kabul at 10%, Farah at 8%, Kunduz at 7% and Takhar at 5%.
UNHCR said it has expanded assistance at the Islam Qala and Zaranj border crossings. More than 29,500 returning households have received assistance so far this year, while 205,658 people have received hot meals.
The agency said conditions in Iran and the wider region have further complicated the situation. Border monitoring conducted since an April 8 ceasefire found that economic hardship was cited by 72% of those interviewed as a reason for leaving Iran, while 56% cited abuse by authorities or fear of arrest or deportation and 42% cited conflict or fear of bombing.
UNHCR warned that the scale of returns is straining already limited resources in Afghanistan.
“These large-scale returns are placing pressure on basic services, housing and livelihoods in Afghanistan, straining host communities and increasing the risks of instability and onward movement,” the agency said.
The large-scale deportations come as Afghan nationals continue to attempt to enter Iran, including through irregular routes, often in search of work. In two recent incidents, nearly 30 Afghans died while traveling toward Iran, including 12 people, among them children, who died of thirst. Others died while crossing desert routes toward the neighboring country.
Many attempting the journey have said they are traveling to Iran in search of employment and better economic opportunities.