Iran’s Law Enforcement Command (Faraja) has reported the deportation of more than 1.12 million undocumented foreign nationals over the past year, marking a significant step in the country’s efforts to address illegal immigration. The announcement, made by Faraja spokesperson Saeed Montazerolmahdi, highlighted the scale of the operation that took place across Iran in 2024.
In a statement to Mehr News Agency on Sunday, Montazerolmahdi confirmed that the large-scale deportation was conducted through over 1,090 coordinated enforcement plans. These operations targeted individuals found to be living in Iran without valid residency documents.
Although the nationalities of the deported individuals were not specified, Iran’s Foreign Ministry has previously estimated that between 2 to 2.5 million undocumented Afghan nationals are currently residing in the country. The Iranian government has expressed its intention to return these individuals to Afghanistan.
Ahmad Masoumifar, head of the Foreign Ministry’s northeast regional office, reiterated that Iran’s policy on undocumented migrants requires no coordination with other countries, particularly regarding Afghan nationals. He emphasized that these migrants must leave either voluntarily or through enforcement measures.
Masoumifar also pointed out that the Taliban government in Afghanistan has expressed no opposition to Iran’s policy, acknowledging that it does not defend individuals who have entered Iran illegally. He further stated that while Iran had shown “generosity” toward migrants in recent years, the current level of stability in Afghanistan no longer justifies their continued stay in Iran.
The deportation operation marks a key move by Iran in managing undocumented migration and reinforcing its border security measures.
