As the war-torn country’s economy crumbled, more than 1 million Afghans migrated to Iran between October 2021 and the end of January 2022, as per to analysts cited by the New York Times
According to the report, aid organisations estimate that 4,000 to 5,000 people cross into Iran each day.
Though many are leaving due to the immediate economic crisis, the prospect of long-term Taliban governance – including restrictions on women and fears of retribution – has only greatly increased their urgency.
“There’s an exponential increase in the number of people leaving Afghanistan through this route, especially given how difficult this journey is in the winter months,” said David Mansfield, a researcher tracking Afghan migration.
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According to his estimates, up to four times as many Afghans left Afghanistan for Pakistan and then Iran each day in January compared to the same time last year, the report stated.
The exodus has sparked concern throughout the region and in Europe, where politicians fear a repeat of the 2015 migrant crisis, when over a million people, mostly Syrians, sought asylum in Europe, sparking a populist backlash.
Many fear that as temperatures rise and snow-covered routes become easier to travel, a flood of Afghans will arrive at the European Union’s borders this spring.
The European Union, determined to contain migrants in the region, pledged more than $1 billion in humanitarian aid for Afghanistan and neighbouring countries hosting Afghan refugees last fall, according to the New York Times.
“We need new commitments and agreements in place to be able to help and assist an extremely vulnerable civil population,” said Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store in a statement last month at the UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan.
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“We must do everything possible to avoid another migration crisis and another source of instability in the region and beyond.”
As per UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, more than half of the world’s population is suffering from “extreme levels” of hunger.
“Daily life has become a frozen hell for Afghans,” he added.
Hundreds of thousands of people have fled to neighbouring countries because there is no immediate relief in sight.
Since the United States withdrew its troops and the Taliban seized power, Afghanistan has descended into an economic crisis that has pushed millions of already hand-to-mouth over the edge.
According to the report, incomes have vanished, life-threatening hunger has spread, and desperately needed aid has been hindered by Western sanctions against Taliban officials.
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