In recent weeks, an unprecedented onslaught has been launched by certain Iranian media outlets and some government officials in Iran against Afghan migrants. These attacks, which began simultaneously with the inauguration of the new government led by Mr. Masoud Pezeshkian, have now led to a widespread wave of migrant expulsions. The scale, speed, and scope of these expulsions are perhaps unprecedented globally, and certainly rare. This process has not only created significant humanitarian challenges for migrants but will also entail considerable security, ethical, and diplomatic repercussions.
Initially, it must be noted that the root of many current problems faced by Afghan migrants in Iran undoubtedly lies with the incompetence of the Taliban regime. This group not only fails to assume responsibility for the rights of its citizens abroad but has also maintained silence in the face of Iran’s humiliating and illegal treatment. The absence of an accountable and national government in Afghanistan has turned migrants into easy prey for various forms of humiliation, expulsions, and unlawful treatment.
However, at the same time, it must be acknowledged that, like any society, there are individuals within the Afghan migrant community in Iran who have committed social or even security-related crimes. As Afghan media activists, we have repeatedly warned in past years that granting visas to certain elements with extremist and Taliban leanings would have serious consequences for Iran’s social security. Unfortunately, at that time, instead of heeding our warnings, we were accused of being pro-Western and subservient to foreigners. While guest houses were provided for some of Afghanistan’s biggest criminals with anti-Shi’a and anti-Iranian views in Mashhad, unfortunately, our warnings were ignored. The currents in Iran that benefited from whitewashing the Taliban are now paying the price of their short-sighted policies with a security and social crisis.
But the important point is this: Should all migrants pay the price for the mistakes of a limited few? Why should millions of helpless and hardworking migrants be insulted with accusations such as “spy,” “infiltrator,” or “threat to national security” because of the actions of a few individuals?!
In recent days and weeks, an organized wave of media, administrative, and security pressures, street beatings, and even reports of not returning rental deposits saved by impoverished migrants working day and night, and other injustices against Afghan migrants in Iran, has gained momentum. This wave is not only directed by some media and official figures in the Islamic Republic of Iran but also began with the start of the new government led by Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and has now reached a worrying stage of widespread rejection, humiliation, and mass expulsions. These expulsions will undoubtedly mark one of the darkest chapters in the history of relations between the two nations of Iran and Afghanistan.
For years, Iran has hosted the largest population of Afghan migrants in the region. However, the treatment of these migrants – especially in recent months – indicates that some responsible institutions of Mr. Pezeshkian’s government not only lack a humane and religious understanding of this reality but also view the issue with a security-oriented, humiliating, and sometimes racist perspective.
Lack of Diplomatic Support
On the other side, in Afghanistan, which is under the rule of a totalitarian, bigoted, inefficient, and unaccountable group like the Taliban, it is natural for millions of its citizens to seek security, freedom, and livelihood in neighboring countries.
Among all factors, the incompetence of the Taliban regime plays a prominent role in the dire situation of migrants. A government that has neither domestic legitimacy nor international acceptance, nor the ability or will to pursue the rights of its citizens abroad. This shameful silence has provided an opportunity for some Iranian media and officials to comfortably promote a discourse of hatred and humiliation against migrants, without fear of accountability or diplomatic pursuit.
Generalizing the Behavior of a Minority to the Entire Population
No society is free of crime and error, and the migrant community is no exception. Yes, in recent years, cases of crime, corruption, or even the infiltration of extremist elements among migrants have been reported. But a serious question arises: Can the abnormal behaviors of a few dozen or even a few hundred people be generalized to a multi-million migrant population? This approach is not only legally and ethically wrong but also strategically very dangerous, as it leads to the creation of resentment and enmity whose damage will be irreparable in the future.
The Fall of Media Ethics Under the Guise of Piety
In Iran, some media outlets, including the newspaper “Jomhouri Eslami” (Islamic Republic), which is also published under the sacred title of “Islamic,” have repeatedly attacked Afghan migrants in their editorials in recent months. The managers of “Jomhouri Eslami” newspaper, who apparently have benefited neither from Islamic teachings nor from human principles, are far from human principles. To collectively accuse millions of Muslim migrants of espionage and being a threat is not only contrary to fairness but also to security logic and rationality. Indeed, media outlets like “Jomhouri Eslami” and some officials in Mr. Pezeshkian’s government have become pioneers of this onslaught. How can a media outlet, funded by public money, which should be a symbol of ethics, justice, and enlightenment, accuse millions of Muslim, refugee, and hardworking people of espionage, infiltration, or threatening national security in numerous articles? We must tell these gentlemen that the fire of hatred you have ignited in the hearts of millions of Afghan migrants will burn many.
The managers of these media outlets and some government officials show no shame before God or His servants when insulting and humiliating migrants. Such racial extremism runs so deep in their veins that they did not even show an ounce of shame towards the families of the Fatemiyoun martyrs; a group composed of Shi’a Afghan migrants who sacrificed their lives in the toughest battles for Iran’s goals. Perhaps they calculated that there is no longer a need for loyal Afghans now that Syria is no longer a concern.
Meanwhile, we recall that the formation of the Fatemiyoun group had severe consequences for Shi’as inside Afghanistan, leading to any Shi’a being deprived of government positions during the republican era under the stigma of cooperating with Fatemiyoun. Today, the people of Afghanistan, especially the oppressed Shi’as, are once again victims of unjust policies, but this time they are victims of Mr. Pezeshkian’s anti-migration policies and anti-Afghan media in Iran.
Major Security Blunder: Losing Sight of the Real Infiltration Points
From a security perspective, we must speak realistically. Even if we accept that some migrants, at a very low level, have cooperated with foreign entities – an assertion that remains without credible documentation – we must ask: Did these individuals have access to military, intelligence, or security secrets? The answer is clear: no.
A spy is someone who can reveal the resting room of an official like Martyr Ismail Haniyeh for assassination; a spy is someone who sends the location of Martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah’s office and presence to the enemy; a spy is someone who knows about internal government meetings and the movements and residences of martyred commanders and reveals them to the enemies of Islam and Muslims. This kind of information is not available to an undocumented Afghan worker, nor to a migrant child studying in a school on the outskirts of the city who is now being expelled with insult and humiliation. It is time for security agencies, instead of pressuring underprivileged migrants, to focus their efforts on infiltration at high political and military levels.
Here, we must address the concerned and Muslim forces in the security sector of the Islamic Republic of Iran. As we mentioned above, we know that some migrants have committed violations at various levels. However, was it really necessary to create all this commotion and media onslaught against Afghan migrants?! Don’t you think that unauthorized Afghan nationals could have been expelled without insulting, humiliating, and writing ugly and immoral things about migrants in the media? Why all this commotion? Is this not a misleading noise for security forces, diverting all thoughts and minds towards Afghan migrants, and allowing spies and infiltrators who are serving their masters at high governmental levels to escape? This is a very simple method that is often used to mislead and deviate from the main subject.
Consequences of a Strategic Mistake Regarding Migrants
In any case, the organized attack against Afghan migrants is not merely an ethical or media error; it is a strategic mistake with regional and historical dimensions. This action can damage the long-standing trust between the two nations and entail heavy political and social costs for Iran in the future, especially at a time when the region is facing a rearrangement of geopolitical order and new alignments.
Final Word
Afghan migrants are an inseparable part of Iran’s contemporary history. They are not only linguistically and culturally similar to Iranians but have also stood by this country in the most difficult moments, whether during the imposed war, in defense of the shrines, or in the fields of construction and economy. It is not right to deprive them of their human dignity and fundamental rights today with a narrow-minded, political, and security-driven view.
Widespread expulsions, media humiliation, and racist behaviors will not solve any problem; rather, they will plant the seeds of resentment, enmity, rejection, and social fragmentation-a resentment that will not be easily erased.
Jawad Sarvary
Translated by: Zohreh Danesh
