More than 1.3 million Afghan refugees in Iran have been forced to return home since March 20, according to a new report by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Published on July 16, the report also said that this year so far, Iran had deported more than 1.57 million Afghan refugees.Iran hosts the world’s largest refugee population, and about 95% — estimated to be around four million — are Afghans, UNHCR says. Iran claims the real number is closer to six million.Why does Iran have so many Afghan refugees?For more than 40 years, Afghanistan has endured conflict, economic turmoil, natural disasters, poverty, and food scarcity. Successive waves of people fled the country to escape the Soviet invasion, civil wars, the US-led intervention, and the Taliban insurgency.Over the years, a large number of them have taken refuge in neighbouring Iran. However, the influx particularly swelled after the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, leading to a severe humanitarian crisis and worsening human rights conditions, especially for girls and women. Currently, more than 20,000 Afghans are crossing the borders every day.Refugees in Iran have arrived from areas such as Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Nangarhar, and the Hazara regions. Large communities are now based in provinces such as Razavi Khorasan, Sistan and Baluchestan, Khorasan, Tehran, and Yazd, primarily in low-income neighbourhoods.The legal status of Afghan refugees varies in Iran based on their documentation. Amayesh cardholders are refugees who entered before 2003 and are in the Comprehensive Refugee Registration Plan, also known as Amayesh. Only around 780,000 individuals hold the Amayesh card, which grants limited access to education and healthcare.Also in Explained | Why has Russia formally recognised Afghanistan’s Taliban government?A smaller number possess valid Afghan passports and Iranian visas. The third category includes refugees registered with the headcount slip, a temporary document provided to Afghan refugees for registration purposes. These slips expired on March 20 this year, and the Iranian government gave July 6 as the deadline to allow these individuals to either become documented or leave the country.Story continues below this adHowever, the vast majority are undocumented. This group lives precariously, constantly at risk of arrest and deportation, and often works in exploitative conditions in the informal economy, construction, agriculture, domestic work, and manual labour.What is the reason for a recent surge in displacement?A severe economic crisis, fueled by years of international sanctions and mismanagement, lies at the heart of the recent deportation. The Iranian government often blames Afghan refugees, particularly the undocumented, for job losses among Iranians and the strain on heavily subsidised public services such as fuel, food, healthcare, and education.The conflict between Iran and Israel in June has escalated the situation of displacement. Iranian officials have claimed that Israel and the US had recruited Afghans, posing an alleged threat to national security. Kadijah Rahimi, a 26-year-old cattle herder, told The New York Times that during her arrest in Iran last month, the security agent told her, “We know you’re working for Israel.”This is not the first time that Afghan refugees have been accused of being recruited by Israel. After the devastating twin suicide bombings in Kerman in January 2024, Iran’s government linked the attack to Afghan nationals, as its responsibility was claimed by the Islamic State affiliate ISIS-K, which operates primarily in Afghanistan. The authorities raided Afghan homes and workplaces. Mass detentions and expulsions, often regardless of individuals’ documentation status, took place. The attack also fueled existing nationalist and hardline political currents within Iran that have long advocated for refugee repatriation.Story continues below this adStrained relations between Iran and the Taliban regime over issues such as water rights from the Helmand River and the treatment of Shia Hazaras in Afghanistan have also contributed to the dynamic. Forcing large numbers of refugees back can be seen as a form of pressure on the Taliban, overwhelming its limited resources and highlighting the instability Tehran blames Kabul for.While the Iranian government claims that it is only deporting undocumented citizens, reports by The New York Times suggest otherwise. Some being deported are legal residents living in Iran for decades, and others have reported that their documents were torn by officials.The writer is a student who is a summer intern at The Indian Express.