Iran has constructed a wall along more than 10 kilometers (6 miles) of its eastern border with Afghanistan, primarily aimed at managing immigration flows, local media reported on Monday. General Nozar Nemati, the deputy commander of Iran’s army ground forces, indicated that plans are in place to extend the wall by an additional 50 kilometers.
Iran shares a lengthy border of over 900 kilometers (560 miles) with Afghanistan, which serves as a key entry point for Afghan migrants. The Islamic Republic is home to one of the largest refugee populations globally, consisting mainly of Afghans who have fled ongoing conflict and instability in their home country over the past four decades.
Since the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021 following the withdrawal of US forces, there has been a noticeable increase in the influx of Afghan immigrants. While the Iranian government has not released official statistics on the number of Afghan migrants, parliamentary member Abolfazl Torabi has estimated that between six and seven million Afghans currently reside in Iran.
In light of the rising number of Afghan refugees, Iranian authorities have intensified efforts to manage illegal immigration. Reports indicate that expulsions of undocumented migrants have become more frequent, with General Nemati stating, “By blocking the border, we want to control the country’s entries and exits and better increase the security of border areas.”
In addition to the wall, Iran’s Interior Minister Eskandar Momeni announced plans to use barbed wire and water-filled ditches as supplementary measures to fortify the border. On September 13, Ebrahim Rezaei, a spokesman for the parliamentary National Security Committee, stated that police aimed to expel more than two million illegal immigrants in the near future.
According to the official IRNA news agency, Afghans make up over 90% of foreign nationals in Iran, with most entering the country without proper identification. President Masoud Pezeshkian has emphasized the government’s commitment to “repatriate illegal nationals to their country in a respectful manner.”
In the year starting March 2023, Iran hosted more than 2.7 million documented Afghan refugees, according to the Statistics Centre, which accounts for 97% of legal migrants in the country. This significant presence of Afghans highlights the long-standing ties and challenges Iran faces in managing its borders and immigration policy amidst regional instability.
