UNHCR: Iran deported over 492,000 Afghans this year
More than 492,000 Afghans have been deported from Iran since the beginning of 2026, accounting for 85% of all Afghan returns from the country this year, according to new figures from the UN refugee agency.
In a report published Thursday, UNHCR said 581,600 Afghans returned from Iran between Jan. 1 and Oct. 3, including 492,300 who were deported. Another 89,300 returned through other means.
The figures come after an even larger wave of returns in 2025, when more than 1.9 million people returned or were deported from Iran. Of those, about 1.26 million were deported, according to UNHCR.
The agency said the large-scale returns are putting additional pressure on basic services, housing and livelihoods in Afghanistan, while straining communities receiving returnees and increasing the risks of instability and further migration.
Returns from Iran increased significantly after headcount slips held by an estimated 2 million Afghans expired in March 2025. Iranian authorities subsequently introduced a regularization and return program requiring holders of the documents to undergo assessments to determine whether they could remain in the country, UNHCR said.
Most of those deported from Iran this year lacked documentation. UNHCR figures show that 88% of those deported in 2026 were undocumented, while 12% held headcount slips.
The report also points to changing reasons Afghan migrants are leaving Iran. In interviews conducted since an April ceasefire, 72% of respondents cited Iran’s economic situation, while 55% cited abuse by authorities or fear of arrest or deportation. Another 45% cited family reunification and 39% cited conflict or fear of bombing. Respondents could select more than one reason.
Herat remains the main intended destination for returnees from Iran, accounting for 21% of returns this year. Kabul accounts for 10%, followed by Farah at 8%, Kunduz at 7% and Nimroz at 5%.
UNHCR said it has expanded its response at the Islam Qala and Zaranj border crossings, providing protection services, emergency cash, transportation, relief supplies and meals.
More than 32,670 returning households have received UNHCR assistance so far this year, while more than 205,000 people have received hot meals. The agency said 77% of those it assisted were women and children.
The latest returns add to a major movement of Afghans from Iran over the past several years. UNHCR figures show deportations rose from about 485,000 in 2022 to nearly 691,000 in 2023 and 764,000 in 2024 before reaching more than 1.26 million in 2025.
UNHCR warned that the scale of returns is increasing humanitarian needs inside Afghanistan and called for sustained support for returnees and the communities receiving them.