The influence of the conflict between Iran and Israel is being felt by the Afghans inside both their homeland and across the border in Iran. The fight is already increasing serious conditions in Afghanistan, where prices have increased for Iranian imports. Megil, millions of Afghans who once fled to Iran in search of security, are now facing renewed uncertainty and pressure from the authorities as the armed struggle grows.
“We have no place to live,” Afghan Rahela Ras told DW.
Ras said, “Our freedom of movement is striped with us.” “We are upset, insulting and misbehaving.”
The life of Afghans goes from bad to worse
The United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) estimates that around 4.5 million Afghans live in National Iran. Other sources suggest that the number can be very high. In recent years, Iran had taken steps to deport thousands of Afghans. However, the arrival of the Afghans continues, seeking employment or refuge from the Taliban regime.
In the years after the US return from Afghanistan in 2021, the Taliban destroyed media and civil society, targeted former security personnel and imposed serious sanctions on women and girls, banned them from work and education.
Therefore, conditions have been determined for Afghans living in Iran. Refugees are allowed to buy food only at highly inflated prices and have been banned from leaving Tehran.
A refugee told DW that she does not buy a formula for her child.
“Everywhere I go, they refuse to sell it because I do not have the appropriate documents,” he said, requesting oblivion.
‘My heart is broken’
With bombs with Afghans in Iran, his new country no longer gives a glimpse of security. And some of them have already been kept in attacks.
DW spoke to Abdul Ghani from Ghor province of Afghanistan, whose 18 -year -old son Abdul Wali recently completed the school and moved to Iran to support his family.
“On Monday, I talked to my son and asked him to send us some money,” Gani said. “Last night, his employer called me to inform me that he was killed in an attack.”
“My heart is broken,” Gani said. “My son is gone.”
There is no way for many Afghans
Returning to Afghanistan is not a clear option for most Afghan refugees, who are afraid of harassment under the Taliban rule. Speaking anonymously, a former member of Afghanistan’s security forces said that he was constantly in fear.
“We cannot return to Afghanistan,” he said. “Taliban will prosecute us.”
Under the previous government, former Iran’s Afghan internal minister and ambassador Mohammad Umar Dawoodzai told DW that the international community should work to protect the officers and civil servants of the formors, who are forced to return to Afghanistan due to the Israeli-Iran struggle.
“I am particularly concerned about former military and government employees who fled to Iran after Taliban acquisition,” said Davudzai. “The international community should justify the Taliban and ensure that the returns are not subjected to harassment.”
Migrant advocates urge refugees
Human trafficking networks are seen exploiting the frustration of Afghan refugees. Rumors have suggested that Turkey has opened its boundaries to be passed.
But a migrant rights lawyer Ali Reza Karimi dismissed the claims of open boundaries as false information spread by smugglers. The flights are suspended, and, he said, Turkey is only for Iranian civilians and passengers with valid passports and visas and remains closed for Afghan migrants. Karimi urged the Afghan refugees not to fall to read the smugglers or walk in their nets.
“I have been informed that smugglers are asking refugees to go towards Türkiye, claiming that the boundaries are open.” “It makes another tragedy yet. They go there to close borders.”
Dawoodzai urged the Afghan refugees in Iran to stay so far, if possible they are now.
“As much as they can, our people should stay where they are and wait patiently. And if, for any reason, they are forced to move, then they should hang the Afghan border – not Turkish,” Hei said.
Edited by: Darko Jenjeevic
