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Home , Afghans in Iran, Alborz, Azerbaijan (Iran)

AFGHAN POPULATION MOVEMENT SNAPSHOT June 2021

Since the 1979 Soviet invasion and the subsequent waves of violence that have rocked , millions of Afghans have fled the country, seeking safety elsewhere. The Islamic Republic of boasts 5,894 km of borders. Most of it, including the 921 km that are shared with Afghanistan, are porous and located in remote areas. While according to the Government of Iran (GIRI), some 1,400-2,500 Afghans arrive in Iran every day, recently GIRI has indicated increased daily movements with 4,000-5,000 arriving every day. These people aren’t necesserily all , it is a mixed flow that includes people being pushed by the lack of economic opportunities as as those who might be in need of international protection. The number fluctuates due to socio-economic challenges both in Iran and Afghanistan and also the COVID-19 situation. UNHCR Iran does not have access to border points and thus is unable to independently monitor arrivals or returns of Afghans. Afghans who currently reside in Iran have dierent statuses: some are refugees (Amayesh card holders), other are Afghans who posses a national passport, while other are undocumented. These populations move across borders in various ways. it is understood that many Afghans in Iran who have passports or are undocumented may have protection needs. 780,000 2.1 M 586,000 704 Amayesh Card Holders (Afghan refugees1) undocumented Afghans passport holders voluntarily repatriated in 2021

In 2001, the Government of Iran issues Amayesh Undocumented is an umbrella term used to There are 275,000 Afghans who hold family Covid-19 had a clear impact on the low VolRep cards to regularize the stay of . describe various groups of foreign nationals passports and 311,000 who have passports with trend due to internal movement restrictions, fear Each year, refugees have to renew their residing in Iran including: those with an invalid valid visas. The Comprehensive Regularisation of spreading the disease/contagion during travel Amayesh cards. However, more recently arrived passport and invalid Iranian visa; those who lost Plan (CRP) introduced in 2010 allowed undocu- and better access to health services in Iran. Afghans do not receive an Amayesh card. The their Amayesh status for dierent reasons; those mented Afghans to register with the government Those who nevertheless opt to repatriate are Government of Iran is in charge of status who hold a type of document, for example of Iran, and receive an Afghan passport and a those who have seen their livelihoods severely determination and UNHCR can advocate for a Tazkara, but no legal residence for Iran; and visa ("family passport"). The visas of those impacted in Iran and/or are willing to reunify with handful of refugees to receive amayesh cards those who are not in possession of any type of participating in the CRP have been extended at family members in Afghanistan. 64% of returnees each year. document. They don't formally fall under dierent intervals since 2012, often following high are students for whom UNHCR facilitates UNHCR's mandate but we potentially can level visits by the Government of Afghanistan. repatriation to obtain student visas to pursue consider them as others of concern. studies in Iran. RUSSIAN KAZAKHSTAN REFUGEE POPULATIONFEDERATION PER PROVINCE REPATRIATED BY LOCATION IN IRAN & INTENDED DESTINATION IN AFGHANISTAN IN 2021 UZBEKISTAN West East Azerbaijan Azerbaijan Ardabil East West Golestan North Azerbaijan North Azerbaijan Gilan Khorasan Khorasan Gilan Golestan Jawzjan Kunduz Badakhshan Zanjan Zanjan Razavi Mazandaran Mazandaran Khorasan Takhar Samangan Razavi Qazvin Semnan Panjsher Kurdistan Alborz Tehran Faryab Baghlan Khorasan Nuristan Semnan ISLAMIC Hirat Sar-e-Pul BamyanParwanKapisa Hamadan Badghis Laghman REPUBLIC Qom Kabul Kermanshah REPUBLIC Wardak Kunar Markazi Daykundi Markazi OF IRAN Nangarhar Lorestan South Ghor Logar Ilam Khorasan AFGHANISTAN Ghazni Lorestan AFGHANISTAN Paktya Isfahan Ilam South Uruzgan Khost Chaharmahal Chaharmahal Khorasan and Bakhtiari *This map shows the and Bakhtiari Farah Paktika Yazd Zabul Voluntary repatriated Kohgiluyeh geographic distribution of Khuzestan by location in Iran Khuzestan and refugees in Iran. The map uses Nimroz 1 Boyer-Ahmad Kohgiluyeh and the proportions from the 2015 Boyer-Ahmad 10 Amayesh registration applied to Kerman Hilmand KUWAIT data from 2020. 100 Fars Disclaimer: the boundaries Bushehr Intended return location Hormozgan Sistan and Sistan and SAUDI ARABIA Baluchestan and names shown and the Hormozgan Baluchestan in Afghanistan designations used on the map 1 BAHRAIN OMAN do not imply o cial UNITED ARAB 10 endorsement or acceptance QATAR EMIRATES by the . 100

1 (Afghan "prima facie" refugees. There has not been a prima facie decision or statement by the GIRI on prima facie recognition fro this group. Technically Amayesh is a "temporary residency permit" and it does not specifically aord refugee status. According to the data received from the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran in October 2020, on which consultations are ongoing, 800,000 refugee card holders reside in Iran, 780,000 of which are Afghans and 20,000 Iraqis.. AFGHAN POPULATION MOVEMENT SNAPSHOT

INTERNAL DISPLACEMENT IN AFGHANISTAN ONWARD MOVEMENT OF AFGHANS

In 2021, displacement due to ongoing conflict and natural disasters is continuing to drive humanitarian As of May 2021, Afghans continue to be the second most common to claim asylum in (13,965 needs in Afghanistan. Almost 191,000 people have left their homes this year due to fighting. Many of these first time claims since January 2021), after Syrians (25,250 first time claims). In April 2021, 53% of Afghan asylum people remain displaced across the country, as conflict and poverty prevent them from returning to their claimants in Europe were granted international protection. Afghan children made up 43% of all asylum applica- areas of origin. tions by unaccompanied minors in Europe in 2021 to date, and applications increased 17% from a year ago.

1% 9% 4,900,000 190,000 2,834,000 Rest of the remained internally displaced in 2020 Afghans displaced internally in 2021 Afghans outside of Afghanistan Europe South-West It is estimated that almost 4.8 million people who 59% of newly displaced Afghans are children This number includes only Afghan refugees and (mostly Iran and Pakistan) have fled their homes since 2012 remained under 18 asylum seekers 90% internally displaced.

INTERNALLY DISPLACED PEOPLE BY PROVINCE OF ARRIVAL RETURN OF UNDOCUMENTED AFGHANS FROM IRAN 604,000 UZBEKISTAN Undocumented returnees in 2021

TAJIKISTAN # of returnees, thousands 859 775 TURKMENISTAN Overall, the number of undocumented Afghans who have 547 604 464 480 Balkh Badakhshn. 446 returned to Afghanistan since the beginning of 2021 (Jan to Jawzjan2.5 27 11 3.2 Takhar2.5 Jammu Jun) increased by 69% compared to the same period in & 8.4 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2020 - with spontaneaous return increasing by 9% and Fa ryab 1.2 Kashmir 6.2 Smngn. 11 Bghl. Nuristan deportation increasing by 224%. Pnjsh. # of returnees 4.8 Kunar Badghis Bamyan Parwan 200000 Spontaneous 0.7 4.2Lghm. 0.6 9.9 Deportation Maidn. Kabul Nangarhar Hirat2.2 0.6 150000 Ghor6.3 Logar 36 Daykundi 1.4 Pkt. 18 100000 Ghazni Khs.1.5 50000 Uruzgan Farah 1.4 0.5 Paktika 1.5 0 Zabul Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun 2018 2019 2020 2021 Kandahar PAKISTAN IRAN Hilmand 0.8 12 15 RETURNEES BORDER MONITORING UNHCR AFGHANISTAN Nimroz 97% 77% are undocumented stayed less than a year Number of displaced people (thousands) Deportee Passport holder 6 - 10 years Born in Iran Spontaneous returnee VRF holder 1 - 5 years More than 10 years 71% Past seven years Monthly trends Less than 1 year Number of IDPs (thousands) Previous 3-year average Past year Reasons of entry to Iran Top reasons of return to Afghanistan* *Spontaneous returnees, VRF holders, and Passport/ID holders In search of employment 69% 100k Reunite with family members in Afghanistan 27% Conflict 21% Lack of employment opportunities 26% Fear of COVID-19 18% Family visit 7% 675 636 High cost of living in Iran 6% 512 190 50k 470 437 For medical treatment 1% Obtain passport and visa to return to Iran 5% 380 Family gatherings 4% Move to Turkey and/or Europe 1% Denied access to health facilities 4% 0 Threat of detention/forced quarantine 3% 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 Drought 1% Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Fear of arrest and/or deportation 3% Business less than 0.5% Discrimination by local community *2018 number also includes people displaced due to drought and other factors 1% Other 0% Other 5%

Sources: Refugees in Iran - GIRI (Oct, 2020); Voluntary Repatriation - UNHCR Iran (June 2021); Afghans outside of Afghanistan - UNHCR Refugee Data Finder as of 20 Jul 2020; Internally displaced Afghans - IOM DTM. Baseline Mobility Assessment, Round 11, Jul-Dec 2020; UNHCR Factsheet “Onward Movements of Afghan Refugees and Migrants toward Europe” (May-Jun 2021); undocumented returnees from Iran - IOM Afghanistan Return of Undocumented Afghans reports (25 Jun - 1 Jul 2021) ; UNHCR Afghanistan Border Monitoring Report - UNHCR Afghanistan (May 2021); internally displaced people in Afghanistan - OCHA Aghanistan “Snapshot of Population Movements (January to April 2021)” as of 21 May. The numbers are subject to change as more information becomes available. Updated: 20 July 2021. Contact: Farha Bhoyroo, Communications O cer, [email protected].