Overlooked plight of Afghan refugees in Iran amid 12-day war Al Jazeera reports on dire living conditions

Millions of Afghans—many lacking legal status—who have sought refuge in Iran remained largely overlooked amid the Iran-Israel conflict that has dominated global headlines.

These individuals escaped one crisis only to find themselves in the crosshairs of another, and while an oral ceasefire between the two sides was reached, though on shaky grounds, there is no clear refuge on the horizon for them should tensions escalate again.

Iran currently hosts around 3.5 million people in refugee or refugee-like circumstances, including approximately 750,000 registered Afghans. Yet as an article by Al Jazeera points out, over 2.6 million of them remain in the country undocumented.

Since the Taliban regained control in 2021 following the chaotic US withdrawal, thousands of Afghans—among them former soldiers, activists, journalists, and other individuals that are under threat of persecution by the Taliban—have crossed the border into Iran seeking safety.

Tehran province alone is estimated to house 1.5 million Afghan refugees, the majority without documentation. As Israel struck targets in and around the capital—including both military facilities and civilian sites believed to house Iranian officials or nuclear scientists—many Afghans were left painfully aware of their vulnerability. With internet blackouts during much of the 12-day war, they lacked both protection and access to reliable emergency alerts or assistance for basic necessities.

The publication interviewed Afghan refugees—many of them activists persecuted by the Taliban—who managed to reach Iran using short-term visas. However, due to high renewal fees and the requirement to leave and re-enter Iran via Taliban-controlled areas, many cannot legally extend their stay, leaving them trapped in limbo and vulnerable to exploitation.

According to their statements to Al Jazeera, life without documentation in Iran has proven difficult. These refugees report being unable to open bank accounts, secure legal work, or receive humanitarian support, telling the publication that they’ve received no aid—neither from the Iranian state nor from international organizations.

For all Afghans in Iran—whether recently arrived or long-term residents—the 12-day war with Israel has revived deep traumas of war and exile. Three Afghan nationals have been reported by Iranian health authorities to be among the 610 people killed during the strikes, underscoring the physical dangers faced by migrants.

During the fighting, UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett called on all involved to safeguard Afghan migrants, stressing the urgent need for humanitarian protections amid the heightened risk to their lives. Afghan activist Laila Forugh Mohammadi, now living abroad, has taken to social media to highlight the deteriorating conditions for Afghans in Iran.

“People can’t move or speak freely,” she explained. “Without documents, they’re exposed to abuse, including wage theft by employers who know they have no recourse.” She added that no government entity is advocating for Afghan refugees amid the Iran-Israel tensions.

“There’s no system in place to handle their cases. We feared what escalation would mean for their safety,” she said. The publication notes that those able to escape the most dangerous zones in Iran often did so only with the help of Afghan-led organizations.

In the past months, Iran has announced plans to deport as many as two million undocumented Afghans but some chose to return home voluntarily during the conflict, despite the dangers posed to them by the Taliban. 

According to World Vision Afghanistan, approximately 7,000 Afghans crossed back into the country daily during the conflict, mainly through the border point near the Islam Qala village close to Afghanistan's Herat city.

“They arrive with nothing but the clothes on their backs,” said field representative Mark Cal. “They’re emotionally shattered and stepping back into a nation still gripped by collapse.”

Although Israeli attacks have subsided with US President Donald Trump's announcement of a ceasefire, though no document has been signed marking this status, the threat of renewed conflict lingers. The number of Afghans fleeing Iran is likely to increase, yet as the article underscores, most have nowhere left to run.

By Nazrin Sadigova