Iranian Labour Unions Condemn Mass Deportation of Afghan Migrants

Two Iranian labour organizations have issued powerful statements condemning the recent mass deportation of Afghan migrants from Iran, calling it an “inhumane act” and a “political cover-up” for the Islamic Republic’s internal and international failures. The Free Union of Iranian Workers and the Tehran Bus Workers’ Syndicate both denounced the expulsions as racist, unlawful, and harmful to both Afghan migrants and the wider Iranian working class. The statements come amid increasing pressure on Afghan communities following the end of the recent military conflict between Iran and Israel.
Background Context

According to Iranian state officials, more than 380,000 Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran through the Dogharoun border in a very short period. This number was confirmed by the Deputy Governor of Khorasan Razavi Province. The deportations have sparked concern among human rights activists and labour groups, especially as they come in a time of deepening economic crisis and growing political unrest inside Iran.

Afghan migrants have lived and worked in Iran for decades, many of them born and raised in the country. They often fill low-wage and informal labour roles, especially in construction, agriculture, and service sectors. Despite their long-term presence and economic contribution, Afghan migrants remain one of the most vulnerable and least protected groups in Iranian society. Reports of forced expulsions, detentions, lack of legal status, and now increasing racist narratives in official media have drawn strong condemnation from Iranian civil organizations.

The recent war with Israel, followed by a fragile ceasefire, has led to intensified government crackdowns across multiple fronts—on political dissidents, union activists, and now Afghan migrants. Labour groups argue that these deportations are not only unjustified but are being used to shift attention away from the Islamic Republic’s social, economic, and foreign policy crises.

Deportations as a Tool to Hide the Regime’s Failures

In a strongly worded statement dated July 2, 2025, the Free Union of Iranian Workers condemned the mass deportation of Afghan migrants as “a brutal and organized crime against defenseless human beings.” The union described the deportations not as isolated administrative actions but as part of a broader strategy by the Islamic Republic to conceal its deep internal and external failures.

“This number—380,000 deportations—is not just a statistic,” the statement read. “It reflects a systematic and inhuman crime against people who have escaped war and misery in their homeland, only to be further victimized in Iran.”

The union accused the government of using Afghan migrants as scapegoats during times of political pressure. According to the statement, Afghan workers were once exploited for “huge profits by government-connected contractor companies” and then discarded when the political situation shifted. “In one period, they served the profit motives of corrupt companies. In another, they became tools in regional policies. And now, after the war with Israel, they are made victims again—to distract from the state’s economic and social collapse.”

The Free Union went on to link the deportations to other forms of repression inside Iran, calling it “an extension of the same inhuman logic that sends political prisoners in chains to hellish exile.” The union emphasized that migration caused by war, poverty, and oppression is a global reality, rooted in the unjust structures of today’s world.

“We, the Iranian people, have also migrated in the millions over the past 47 years,” the statement declared. “We have fought tirelessly for acceptance and humane treatment—not just for ourselves, but for all migrants regardless of nationality or background.”

Calling on Iranian workers and all freedom-seeking people to resist these policies, the union stated: “The fight for migrant rights cannot be separated from the fight against executions, political repression, gender discrimination, and for the right to organize and protest. These are all part of one struggle—for human dignity.”

The statement ended with a message of solidarity: “The people of Iran, Afghanistan, and the whole Middle East are one body, suffering under the violence of local and global powers. We must stand together. Stop the discrimination and deportation of Afghan refugees. Long live the united struggles of Iranian and Afghan workers.”

Deportations Undermine Worker Solidarity and Justice

In a parallel statement released on July 1, 2025, the Tehran Bus Workers’ Syndicate sharply criticized the Iranian government’s treatment of Afghan migrants, describing the mass expulsions as “a clear violation of human rights” and “a threat to international worker solidarity.”

As part of the Iranian and global working class, the syndicate emphasized that migrants, asylum seekers, and refugees are an inseparable part of every society. “We call on all labour and civil organizations to stand firm against this toxic atmosphere of racism and anti-migrant hysteria,” the statement read. “Any attack on migrants is an attack on social and class unity—and serves only the interests of ruling regimes and the capitalist system.”

The syndicate warned that portraying migrants as criminals or security threats weakens the broader struggle for justice. They specifically rejected recent claims in state-affiliated media accusing Afghan migrants of espionage or collaboration with Israel—allegations made without evidence and outside any transparent legal process. “Everyone knows the real infiltrators are within the regime’s own institutions,” the statement added. “Ordinary Afghan workers and families have no access to state secrets, nor any interest in cooperation with a regime like Israel’s.”

The syndicate accused authorities of manipulating numbers and promoting fear. “Since the ceasefire, officials and media figures have exaggerated population statistics and painted a false picture of the Afghan community in Iran—often without any credible data, including from UN sources.” These exaggerations, the syndicate claimed, are used to justify mass deportations, restrictions on rights, and the increased securitization of Afghan life in Iran.

“From the beginning of this year, and even before the war with Israel, we’ve witnessed an unprecedented wave of deportations,” the syndicate noted. “Most of them have been forced, unjust, and carried out without giving migrants a fair legal chance to defend themselves.”

The statement connected Iran’s deportation policy to broader global patterns of anti-migrant repression. “This is not limited to Iran. For example, in the United States under Trump, large-scale expulsions of migrants were met with massive resistance by unions and civil rights activists. We must learn from this.”

“Afghan migrants have lived, worked, and contributed to this country for decades. Many were born or raised here. They deserve full civil rights. Others, like millions of Iranians abroad, are refugees and displaced people. They should enjoy their basic rights under international human rights law.”

The syndicate also condemned the state-run “House of Workers” for fueling Afghanophobia and preventing the rise of independent workers’ organizations in Iran. “Those who promote racism are not neutral. They are complicit in violence.”

Finally, the syndicate reminded readers that the root causes of forced migration—war, repression, gender violence, climate crisis, and neoliberal economic policies—are global, structural problems. “The position of the working class is clear: defending migrant rights is not separate from the class struggle for justice. It is part of the same fight. A blow to one of us is a blow to all.”

The statement concluded with a rallying cry repeated in Iranian protest culture:

“No to racism, no to war. The solution for workers and the oppressed: unity and organization.”

Social Reactions and Public Solidarity

As the number of deportations rises, so does public outcry. More than 1,300 individuals—including activists, filmmakers, journalists, and both Iranian and Afghan citizens—have signed an open letter condemning what they describe as “inhumane and hostile” treatment of Afghan migrants in Iran. The letter, addressed to the Islamic Republic authorities, demands an immediate halt to the crackdown and warns of the long-term damage it inflicts—not only on the Afghan community but on Iranian society as a whole.

The signatories stress that the situation has gone far beyond administrative deportations. “These actions are now systematically imposed on the most vulnerable migrant minority in the country,” the letter states. Afghan migrants, it explains, have been widely and unfairly accused of being infiltrators and spies since the beginning of the recent 12-day war, despite no public evidence being provided.

The letter criticizes the use of the term “deportation of illegal migrants,” arguing that it masks a larger policy of structural violence. It highlights how Afghan migrants—regardless of their legal status—are being subjected to arbitrary arrests, searches, and detentions. These practices have caused “deep fear and helplessness” within communities that have lived in Iran for years, often across multiple generations.

“Many of those targeted were born and raised here,” the letter continues. “They are part of our society. Treating them as outsiders erases decades of shared life and contribution.”

The letter also calls on ordinary Iranians to reject silence in the face of these abuses. “Silence can easily be seen as complicity or public approval,” it warns. “The injustice being done to Afghans and other voiceless minorities destroys the very meaning of humanity, justice, and freedom.”

In recent days, images and reports have flooded Iranian social media showing Afghan migrants being arrested in workplaces, neighborhoods, and transit hubs. Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the lack of transparency, legal accountability, and the growing hostility faced by the Afghan population in Iran.

Labour unions, civil society organizations, and a growing number of cultural figures now share a common message: the treatment of Afghan migrants is not only a violation of international norms—it is a moral failure.