A number of returning migrants from Iran say they have returned to Afghanistan due to fears of Israeli airstrikes on Iranian cities.
According to them, with the intensification of Israeli attacks, many Afghan migrants in Iran are living in an atmosphere of fear and anxiety.
Abdulwahab, who recently returned from Iran, lived in Tehran and was forced to leave due to the escalating Israeli airstrikes on the city.
Abdulwahab, a returnee from Iran, shared: “I lived in Islamshahr, Tehran. Israeli missiles struck there. We fled and came to Herat.”
Nearly 3,000 Afghan migrants enter Afghanistan daily through the Islam Qala border in Herat.
According to local officials in Herat, most of these Afghan citizens are returning voluntarily.
Some of these returnees speak of the fear and anxiety prevailing in Iran.
Aziz Ahmad, another returnee from Iran, said: “I came to Herat via Mashhad. Our families in Iran are relocating from one place to another due to fear of Israeli attacks, and even the camps are closed.”
Hamidullah, another returnee, said: “There is fear because of the war in Iran, and to keep my parents from getting more worried, I came to Afghanistan.”
The continued Israeli attacks on Iranian cities have raised concerns about the worsening conditions for Afghan migrants living in Iran.
Some migrant rights activists are calling for the provision of safe repatriation opportunities for Afghans returning from Iran to Afghanistan.
Sayed Ashraf Sadat, a civil society activist, said: “The current situation in Iran has negatively affected the lives of many Afghan migrants. Many have to struggle for survival and are in need of returning to Afghanistan. We hope a mechanism will be developed for the dignified return of Afghan migrants and to ensure a secure living environment for them in the country.”
Nazar Nazari, an Afghan migrant rights activist in Iran, also said: “The ongoing tensions between Iran and Israel have greatly impacted the situation of Afghan migrants. This situation can disrupt their livelihoods, jobs, and businesses. If the conflict continues, migrants won’t be able to live their lives normally.”
According to statistics from the Iranian government, between five to six million Afghan migrants live in Iran.
As Israel’s deadly airstrikes on various Iranian cities enter their fifth day, serious concerns are being raised about the living conditions of Afghans in Iran.