Israeli strikes mean new peril for Afghan refugees in Iran

Advertisements

As Israeli strikes intensify, Afghan refugees in Iran find themselves in danger once again — stuck in a country that is no longer safe with no way to return home.

The impact of the conflict between Iran and Israel is being felt by Afghans both inside their homeland and across the border in Iran.

The fighting is exacerbating the already dire conditions in Afghanistan, where prices for Iranian imports have surged. Meanwhile, millions of Afghans who once fled to Iran in search of safety are now facing renewed uncertainty and pressure from officials as the armed conflict escalates.

“We have no place to live,” Afghan refugee Rahela Rasa told DW.

“Our freedom of movement has been stripped from us,” Rasa said. “We’re harassed, insulted and abused.”

The UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that nearly 4.5 million Afghan nationals reside in Iran. Other sources suggest that the number could be much higher. Iran had taken steps to deport thousands of Afghans in recent years.

However, Afghans continue to arrive, seeking employment or refuge from the Taliban regime.

In the years following the US withdrawal from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban have dismantled the media and civil society, targeted former security personnel and imposed severe restrictions on women and girls, banning them from work and education.

Conditions have also deteriorated for Afghans living in Iran. The refugees are only allowed to buy food at highly inflated prices and are banned from leaving Tehran.

A refugee told DW that she couldn’t buy formula for her baby.

“Everywhere I go, they refuse to sell it to me because I don’t have proper documents,” she said, requesting anonymity.

With Afghans in Iran seeing bombs flying overhead, their new country no longer offers even a semblance of safety. And some of them have already been kiled in strikes.

DW spoke to Abdul Ghani from Afghanistan’s Ghor province, whose 18-year-old son Abdul Wali recently completed school and moved to Iran to support his family.

“On Monday, I spoke to my son and asked him to send us some money,” Ghani said. “Last night, his employer called to inform me he had been killed in an attack.”

“My heart is broken,” Ghani said. “My son is gone.”

About The Author

Dele Fashomi

Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.

Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.

He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.

Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).

He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.

He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.

Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.

See author's posts