Return Without a Star: The Uncertain Fate of Afghan Deportees from Iran
Tuesday, 8 July 2025 – Herat, Afghanistan
Field Officer: Sebghatullah Alam
In recent days, the hot and crowded road between Islam Qala and Herat has become more than just a border crossing between two countries—it has turned into a sorrowful stage for the forced return of thousands of Afghan migrants from Iran. Through a field survey, the Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO) has assessed the humanitarian, psychological, and social conditions of these returnees, painting a grim picture of one of the most pressing humanitarian crises in western Afghanistan.
This survey was conducted through direct interviews with returnees, field observations, and coordination with local sources. Many of the deportees had lived in Iran for years, and now they return with no preparation, support, or clear plan, arriving in a country where many have no property, shelter, or support networks.
Men with anxious, bewildered expressions, women carrying hungry infants, and children struggling to understand the unfamiliar language and accent of what is supposed to be their homeland—all of them reflect a return not made by choice, but forced by circumstance and powerlessness.
During the survey, reports were documented of families being separated, individuals lost at the border, lack of shelter, shortages of food and drinking water, absence of healthcare services, and severe psychological stress. The cries of hungry and thirsty children and the desperate shouts of parents searching for lost loved ones at the border paint a scene filled with anguish and uncertainty.
Still, some returnees find solace in simply breathing the air of their homeland. For them, returning to Afghanistan means being freed from the humiliating label of “foreigner.” However, that hope will quickly fade without effective support from government institutions and humanitarian actors, both national and international.
The Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO) stresses that:
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The return of migrants is not merely a border or administrative matter—it is a full-scale humanitarian crisis.
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These individuals need shelter, food, medicine, psychosocial support, and above all, to be heard and treated with dignity.
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A homeland must be more than just soil; it should offer a safe and compassionate embrace to those returning.
The restoration of trust and stability begins not with walls and roads, but with the healing of broken hearts. That is the central message of this survey.
This report is based on a field survey conducted by the Saifrood Unity and Aid Organization (SUAO)’s regional team.
