Nearly 450,000 Afghans left Iran since June 1: IOM
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.
Over 230,000 Afghans left Iran in June ahead of return deadline: IOM
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
Express Tribune
11 hours ago
- Express Tribune
BRICS summit ends with call for funding climate mitigation
Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, China's Premier Li Qiang, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto, South Africa's President Cyril Ramaphosa, Egypt's Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, Ethiopia's Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed Ali, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Iran's Foreign Affairs Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi pose for a family photo during the BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil July 6, 2025. REUTERS Listen to article Leaders of the BRICS group of developing nations concluded their summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday by demanding that wealthy countries take responsibility for financing climate mitigation efforts in the Global South. In his opening remarks, Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, who will host the United Nations climate summit in November, condemned climate change denial and unilateralism, indirectly criticising US President Donald Trump's earlier decision to withdraw from the 2015 Paris Agreement. 'Today, denialism and unilateralism are eroding past achievements and harming our future,' Lula said. 'The Global South is in a position to lead a new development paradigm without repeating the mistakes of the past.' On Sunday, Trump responded to BRICS criticism by accusing the bloc of "anti-American policies" and threatening its members with an additional 10% tariff. BRICS leaders dismissed the comments and reaffirmed their commitment to a multilateral global order. In his address, Lula called for a global transition away from fossil fuels, the primary drivers of climate change. However, a joint statement released by BRICS leaders acknowledged the continued importance of petroleum, especially for developing economies — highlighting internal divisions within the increasingly diverse BRICS alliance. 'We live in a moment of many contradictions in the whole world. The important thing is that we are willing to overcome these contradictions,' said Brazil's Environment Minister Marina Silva, responding to questions about Brazil's plans to extract oil near the Amazon rainforest. The joint communiqué stressed that climate finance is a responsibility of developed countries toward developing ones — a long-standing position among emerging economies in global climate negotiations. In addition to this, BRICS leaders voiced support for a new Brazilian initiative, the Tropical Forests Forever Facility, a fund aimed at protecting endangered forests and offering an additional route for developing nations to contribute to climate mitigation, beyond the obligations set by the Paris Agreement. China and the United Arab Emirates have indicated their intent to invest in the fund, according to two sources familiar with discussions held last week between their officials and Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad. The BRICS statement also strongly criticised recent European Union policies, such as carbon border taxes and anti-deforestation regulations, labelling them 'discriminatory protectionist measures' disguised as environmental safeguards.
Business Recorder
21 hours ago
- Business Recorder
Nearly 450,000 Afghans left Iran since June 1: IOM
KABUL: Nearly 450,000 Afghans have returned from Iran since the start of June, the United Nations' migration agency said on Monday, after Tehran ordered those without documentation to leave by July 6. 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. Over 230,000 Afghans left Iran in June ahead of return deadline: IOM 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.
Express Tribune
2 days ago
- Express Tribune
Israeli strikes kill 32 Palestinians as Israel signals readiness for ceasefire discussions
Listen to article At least 32 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli air strikes across the Gaza Strip since dawn today (Sunday), said hospital sources while Israel signalled readiness to resume indirect ceasefire discussions with Hamas in Doha. Medical sources in Gaza told Al Jazeera that 29 of the deceased were killed in Gaza City, which has faced some of the heaviest bombardment in recent days. The latest attacks came as Israel's cabinet, after five hours of heated debate, agreed to send negotiators to Doha for renewed ceasefire talks with Hamas. The decision followed mounting international pressure and growing concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Disagreements within Israel's leadership, particularly over control of aid distribution, had delayed the move. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office said on Saturday that Hamas had made 'unacceptable' changes to the Qatari ceasefire proposal but he approved the sending of negotiators for indirect proximity talks. 'In light of an assessment of the situation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has directed that the invitation to proximity talks be accepted and that the contacts for the return of our hostages – on the basis of the Qatari proposal that Israel has agreed to – be continued,' his office said. Read: Hamas seeks early Gaza ceasefire Hamas, for its part, described its response to mediators as 'positive' and reiterated its readiness to begin immediate negotiations on how to implement the ceasefire. Hamas has demanded that the United Nations be allowed to resume aid distribution across more than 400 points in Gaza, a system used before the collapse of the last ceasefire in March. Israel, however, seeks to maintain control through the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation. According to Al Jazeera, the negotiations in Doha will centre on a draft ceasefire proposal brokered by Qatari and Egyptian mediators. The proposal entails a 60-day ceasefire guaranteed by US President Donald Trump, the release of Israeli captives and the remains of others held by Hamas, and the immediate flow of aid through agreed channels, including the UN and Red Crescent. All Israeli military activity would cease across Gaza, with other operations paused for 10 hours daily. Talks for a permanent ceasefire will be due to begin immediately. Israel's war on Gaza Since October 2023, more than 57,300 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli operations in Gaza, most of them women and children, according to Palestinian authorities. Israel's actions in Gaza have drawn global scrutiny. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Moreover, Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice.
