Nearly 450,000 Afghans returned from Iran since June 1, UN agency says
In late May, Iran said undocumented Afghans must leave the country by July 6, potentially impacting four million people out of the around six million Afghans Tehran says live in the country.
Numbers of people crossing the border have surged since mid-June, with some days seeing around 40,000 people crossing at Islam Qala in western Herat province, UN agencies have said.
From June 1 to July 5, 449,218 Afghans returned from Iran, a spokesman for the International Organization for Migration told AFP on Monday, adding that the total for the year so far was 906,326.
Many people crossing reported pressure from authorities or arrest and deportation, as well as losing already limited finances in the rush to leave quickly.
Massive foreign aid cuts have impacted the response to the crisis, with the UN, international non-governmental groups and Taliban officials calling for more funding to support the returnees.
The UN has warned the influx could destabilise the country already grappling with entrenched poverty, unemployment and climate change-related shocks and urged nations not to forcibly return Afghans.
"Forcing or pressuring Afghans to return risks further instability in the region, and onward movement towards Europe," the UN refugees agency UNHCR said in a statement on Friday.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Euronews
15 minutes ago
- Euronews
Syria appeals to EU for help battling massive wildfires in Latakia
Authorities in Syria appealed to the European Union on Tuesday for help in battling massive wildfires that have been spreading across the north-western coastal region for the sixth consecutive day. "Communication has also been established with the European Union, and there is a possibility of air support from Cyprus today to bolster the extinguishing efforts," Minister of Emergency and Disaster Management Raed Saleh wrote in a post on X. "We are facing significant field challenges, most notably the rugged terrain, the absence of firebreaks, active winds, and the presence of mine remnants and unexploded ordnance." Since the beginning of July, the Syrian civil defence have responded to 334 wildfires across the country, most of them concentrated in Latakia followed by Tartous, Saleh wrote on X. The fires, which started last week, have proven difficult to bring under control despite reinforcements from Jordan, Turkey and Lebanon that came to the country to help Syrian teams fight the blazes. On the second day of the fire, firefighters managed to bring 90% of the wildfires under control but explosions of left-over war ordnance and heavy winds helped spread the fires again. There are currently 120 teams fighting the fires. On Monday, the Lebanese army said it sent two helicopters to help fire crews in coordination with Syrian authorities. While at the weekend, UN teams deployed to the Syrian coast where they are conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the damage. "UN teams are on the ground conducting urgent assessments to determine the scale of the disaster and to identify the most immediate humanitarian needs," UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said in a statement. "The UN reiterates its solidarity with the people of Syria at this critical moment and stands ready to work alongside all stakeholders to ensure that no one is left behind in the response and recovery efforts." Summer fires are common in the eastern Mediterranean region, where experts warn that climate change is intensifying conditions that then lead to blazes. Also, below-average rainfall over the winter left many Syrians struggling with water shortages this summer, as the springs and rivers that normally supply much of the population with drinking water have gone dry.
France 24
2 hours ago
- France 24
Some Europeans still travel to Iran, ignoring dire warnings
Lennart Monterlos, an 18-year-old French-German national who disappeared while biking across the country on a tour from Europe to Asia last month, is the latest possible target of unwarranted Iranian arrests. The French foreign ministry called the case "worrying", and government minister Laurent Saint-Martin, whose portfolio includes French nationals living abroad, said "Iran pursues a deliberate policy of taking Western hostages". The minister did not say whether Monterlos had indeed been arrested by the Iranian authorities, who are believed currently to hold around 20 European nationals. The French foreign ministry's list of French or French-Iranian nationals registered to be in Iran either as residents or visitors has about 1,000 names, but the real number is likely higher, given that there is no obligation to check in with the consulate. Ingrid, who is in her 50s and asked for her last name to be withheld, said she had been to Iran three times already without notifying the foreign ministry. "I was aware of the ministry's travel warnings but I didn't pay attention," she told AFP, saying she did not believe her "profile" exposed her to arrest. 'I don't care' She said she always has a valid visa on her trips, told the Iranian authorities where she would stay and wore a headscarf, in line with Iran's strict dress code for women. She was always under heavy surveillance in Iran, she said, "but I don't care". Aymeric, a 25-year-old Frenchman who also declined to have his last name published, has a "special affinity" with Iran because one of his best friends is from there. In 2023, he went cycling there for a month. "I wasn't worried, although I knew that French people were being held in Iran," he told AFP. Aymeric says he took some precautions, using his mobile phone and his camera as little as possible, staying off social media, making no comment on politics and avoiding striking up friendships with women. Since, however, he has come to see it as "very naive" to assume he could avoid all dangers. "At the end of the day, it is not just about how you yourself behave," he said. Francois-Henri Deserable, a French writer, said he visited Iran in late 2022 "to bear witness to what was going on out there" during protests following the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, an Iranian Kurd detained for an alleged breach of the dress code for women. "I think it would be reckless to take such risks just to take selfies in the Persepolis ruins," he said. Jean-Francois Rial, CEO of travel company Voyageurs du Monde, said it stopped sending clients to Iran "months or even years ago", adding it would be "irresponsible" to organise trips there. Most people still visiting Iran did so "on their own initiative" and were "uncontrollable", Rial said. In stark contrast to current risks of arrest, Iran is widely considered an attractive destination when it comes to personal safety, including for women and solo travellers, and interactions with ordinary Iranians are mostly friendly. "The hospitality is extraordinary, there'll always be someone to take care of you," said Aymeric, adding that this could create the impression "that there's nothing to fear" when travelling in Iran. That sentiment is shared by Ingrid. © 2025 AFP
Euronews
3 hours ago
- Euronews
Israeli report accuses Hamas of using sexual violence as weapon of war
An Israeli report released on Tuesday said that Hamas used sexual violence as a "tactical weapon of war" in its 7 October 2023 attacks, building on other investigations by international and Israeli rights groups and the UN into the militant group's assault. The report by the Dinah Project, a team of legal and gender experts, based its findings on survivor and witness testimonies, accounts from first responders, and forensic, visual and audio evidence. It called for a shift in how conflict-related sexual violence is prosecuted, saying Hamas silenced its victims by killing them, robbing investigators of key evidence to hold the perpetrators to account. "Most victims were permanently silenced — either murdered during or after the assaults or remain too traumatised to talk — creating unique evidentiary challenges," the report said, calling for a more tailored legal approach to conflict-related sexual violence. The report said it relied on dozens of accounts, including from one survivor of attempted rape at a music festival, 15 returned hostages, 17 witnesses and multiple first responders. In some cases, the Dinah Project carried out its own interviews, while in others it relied on publicly available testimony or published accounts. Citing accounts in Israeli and international media, it said 15 former hostages either experienced or witnessed some form of sexual assault which included physical sexual violence, forced nudity, verbal sexual harassment and threats of forced marriage. Two male hostages said they faced forced nudity and physical abuse when naked. The report said witness accounts indicated at least 15 separate cases of sexual assault, including at least four instances of gang rape. The report said its findings showed patterns in the sexual assaults that were committed, including victims found partially or fully naked with their hands tied, evidence of gang rape followed by killing, genital mutilation and public humiliation, indicating they were intentionally used as a weapon of war. A Hamas official did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the new report. Hamas has previously denied claims that its forces carried out sexual violence when militants stormed into Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 251 hostage. In a report last year, the UN said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe Hamas committed rape, "sexualised torture," and other cruel and inhumane treatment of women during its attack. In issuing arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders who were eventually killed by Israel, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said they bore responsibility for "rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity" during the 7 October attack. Report urges a new approach The report recommended that conflict-related sexual violence should be treated differently from regular sexual crimes to allow for evidence that doesn't primarily rely on testimony from victims, to account for "the systematic silencing of victims." It called for different forms of evidence to be admitted in any prosecution of conflict-related violence. It said joint criminal responsibility should be applied to all participants in the attack, rather than trying to link individual perpetrators to specific acts and victims. This approach would create "a pathway to justice for victims of the October 7 attack and potentially for victims in other conflict zones," the report said. The report comes as Israel and Hamas are negotiating a new ceasefire for the 21-month war in Gaza, which began with the militants' surprise cross-border raid. The deal would pause the fighting in the Palestinian territory and release some of the remaining 50 hostages, more than half whom are said to be dead.
