Key facts
- Thousands of Afghan migrants have returned from Iran to Afghanistan due to Iran's economic crisis.
- The Iranian currency has lost over two-thirds of its value, severely impacting migrants' savings.
- Consumer prices in Iran have surged by nearly 90% year-on-year, with food inflation at almost 130%.
- Surveys indicate only 29% of returning Afghans have any savings left.
- More women and families are returning from Iran compared to previous deportations.
Thousands of Afghan migrants are returning to Afghanistan from Iran, driven by a severe economic crisis in Iran that has eroded their savings and employment prospects. The crisis, compounded by sanctions and conflict, has led to soaring inflation and a sharp depreciation of the Iranian currency.
Mohammad Saeed and his family are among those who returned nearly empty-handed after their savings in Iranian rials lost over two-thirds of their value. Many migrants described being out of work for months and crushed by spiraling inflation before deciding to return. Consumer prices in Iran have surged by nearly 90% year-on-year, with food inflation reaching almost 130%, making essentials unaffordable.
While forced deportations by Iranian authorities remain a reason for return, the latest wave includes more women and entire families. These returnees face a difficult choice between poverty in Iran and returning to Afghanistan, where women face severe restrictions on education, travel, and employment under Taliban rule.
Abdul Jabbar, who had lived in Iran for nearly four decades, returned with his family after his work dried up amid conflict. Now unemployed in Afghanistan, he struggles to repay loans from relatives. His daughter Setayesh, who aspired to be a fashion designer, misses her education and friends in Iran.
At the Islam Qala border, officials noted that many returning workers complained of withheld wages. Rezwana Jami and her son Saeed, who had started a cheese-making business in Iran, were forced to return five months ago due to scarcity of ingredients. They have since restarted their business in Afghanistan, seeing an opportunity in the local market for high-quality pizza cheese, while Jami's 17-year-old daughter struggles with the lack of educational opportunities.