Millions of Afghans in Iran have been ordered to leave the country. Image Credit Source: Nabila Lalee/Picture Alliance Via Getty Images
Amid tension with Israel and America, Iran has now accelerated the process of taking out the Afghan refugees living here. By July 6, about 7 lakh Afghans have been ordered to leave the country. These include those who have been living in Iran for decades and are now forced to return to Afghanistan.
UN and Afghan officials claim that these people were forcibly evacuated, although the Iran government is calling it a 'voluntary return'. In June itself, 2.3 lakh Afghans have returned, while 6.9 lakh people have left Iran since January.
Temporary transit center being built in Herat
A temporary transit center has been set up in Herat for those who were evacuated from Iran, where they are being given food, water and night space. Efforts are being made to provide relief in limited resources with the help of UN agencies and NGOs here. The Taliban government has assured that talks are going on to get back the Afghans whose assets have been seized in Iran.
Clothing crisis in front of women
Afghan women and youth who have returned from Iran have now become a challenge of not only employment and hideouts, but also the challenge of clothes. Those who used to wear clothes according to Iranian fashion, are now struggling with the strict Taliban rules of Afghanistan. Wearing western style or Iranian style clothes in hot weather is becoming more difficult. In such a situation, people who have returned are neither able to mold the rules of the new country nor leave the old completely.
These figures are frightening
So far this year, more than 1 million Afghan citizens have returned from Pakistan and Iran. Iran's deadline i.e. till July 6, this number is going to increase further. It is estimated that only 40 lakh Afghans can be affected by Iran. The UN agency IMO has already made it clear that it can only help limited people.
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