Iran intensifies crackdown on Afghans migrants

Twelve Afghan nationals were arrested on Friday in southwestern Iran, accused of attempting to "abduct several children and teenagers," according to a statement from Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

The arrests were conducted by local security forces in collaboration with IRGC during a "surprise operation" also involving the intelligence ministry as reported by the IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News Agency. Following their detention, the suspects, allegedly armed with knives, were handed over to judicial authorities for further legal proceedings.

The IRGC’s history of using trumped-up charges to detain vulnerable populations raises concerns about the legitimacy of these arrests and the broader human rights implications on marginalized Afghan communities.

The arrests come against the backdrop of Iran's intensified efforts to reduce its burgeoning Afghan immigrant population. The Iranian Parliament recently proposed a plan to decrease the number of foreign nationals by 10 percent annually.

Although the legislation does not specify any particular nationality, it is widely interpreted as targeting Afghan migrants, who constitute a significant portion of Iran's foreign population.

Additionally, these actions reinforce the IRGC’s influence within the Iranian government and its ability to enforce stringent policies under the leadership of the new President Masoud Pezeshkian who during his presidential candidacy campaign in June had promised to seal the borders with Afghanistan to prevent the influx of migrants into Iran.

Recently, there have been reports of mass arbitrary arrests of Afghan nationals, with many Afghan migrants reporting harassment, even when they possess legal residency documents.