Iranian authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on Afghan migrants nationwide, conducting mass arrests, home and workplace raids, and widespread confiscation of mobile phones amid accusations of links to Israel.
Following a prolonged 12-day Iran–Israel conflict, the security operation intensified: uniformed and plainclothes officers have ramped up inspections of Afghan migrants. The campaign comes in the wake of a broader sweep that resulted in the arrest of 700 Iranian citizens on suspicion of espionage and collusion with Israel. Among the detainees are at least five Afghan nationals facing similar allegations .
State media outlets have aired videos of some Afghan detainees confessing to collaboration with Israel, though the context and voluntariness of these confessions are unclear.
Raids have occurred in workplaces and residences, with officers confiscating smartphones and basic mobile phones. Migrants report being handed slips stating their devices could be reclaimed from police stations weeks later, sometimes after a full month . One migrant in Tehran described having his phone taken at a metro station on 26 June, while another noted that officials seized phones regardless of legal residency status.
Metro stations and other public spaces have become hotspots for intensified inspections and questioning, although authorities have yet to publicly justify the phone seizures or broader migrant-focused campaign.
Detentions and deportations of Afghan migrants are on the rise. Tehran’s provincial governor, Muhammad Sadegh Motamedian, confirmed that arrest and deportation rates have tripled or quadrupled in recent weeks . Police checkpoints have proliferated across the city, leading to the detention of both documented and undocumented migrants.
The impact is already visible in Afghanistan. Taliban officials in Herat report that on 25 June, over 30,000 Afghan migrants returned from Iran in a single day, overwhelmed by the crackdown .
Human rights observers warn that Afghan migrants in Iran now live in a climate of fear, too scared to leave home, go to work, or use basic services amid mounting risks of arrest, confiscation, or deportation.
