The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has reported that the forced return of migrants from Afghanistan has created a labour vacuum in Iran and exacerbated economic distress in Afghanistan.
According to IOM, Afghanistan’s migrants were not merely unskilled workers—they were integral to Iran’s economy, powering industries such as construction, manufacturing, and greenhouse farming. “They kept businesses alive,” the agency stated in its latest report.
The IOM warns that families who once had a degree of stability in Iran now face unemployment, homelessness, and lack of support after returning to Afghanistan. The report includes testimonies from several returnees:
- Maryam, a widowed mother of two who lived in Iran for six years, said, “I have nothing now—no job, no home, and no one to turn to.” Though she suffers from kidney problems, her biggest pain is seeing her 15-year-old son searching for work on the streets instead of going to school.
- Zainab, who worked in Iranian greenhouses but was unable to enrol her children in school, expressed exhaustion from constant displacement. “All we want is a place to live and work so our children can have a future,” she said.
- Fereydun, a university graduate who left Afghanistan due to joblessness and worked in a cardboard factory in Iran, said: “If I could find work here [in Afghanistan], I would never think of leaving again.”
Some returnees, however, have lost not just their homes but their health:
- Manzoor Shah, a father of eight, fell from the third floor of a mill in Iran and was severely injured. “I can feed my children,” he said, “but without a home, I sink deeper into despair every day.”
- Mohammad, who spent 11 years in Iran, recounted a life-altering work accident. “I was fixing an elevator on the sixth floor when the cables snapped. I was in a coma for over a year. I thought everyone would abandon me, but my wife stayed and gave me hope.”
- Shabnam, who returned after eight years in Iran, shared that without family in Afghanistan, life is even harder. “My husband can’t find work, and I am barred from studying or working because of restrictions on women. I don’t know what kind of future awaits my daughter.”
The World Bank’s data confirms that Afghanistan’s economy remains fragile in 2025. IOM estimates that an additional 1.7 million people will enter the already saturated Afghan labour market by 2030.
Since September 2023, over 4 million people have returned from Iran and Pakistan. Without investment in skills development, job creation, and entrepreneurship, IOM warns that many may be forced to migrate again.
