IRAN EXPULSION OF 700,000 AFGHANS FUELS HUMANITARIAN CRISIS

Hundreds of thousands of Afghans, including a woman named Habiba who was pursuing a master's degree, have been deported from Iran in recent weeks, with nearly 700,000 expelled since June according to the UNHCR. This surge in deportations follows accusations by Iranian authorities that Afghan nationals were spying for Israel, though officials largely maintain those expelled were undocumented and left voluntarily. Many returnees, some arriving without food or water and reporting mistreatment, face an unfamiliar and unlivable homeland, especially women who are barred from education and employment under Taliban rule. The mass influx of returnees from both Iran and Pakistan is overwhelming aid efforts in Afghanistan, a country already struggling with economic collapse and donor fatigue. Personal accounts detail lost futures, split families, and a desperate struggle to start over for those forcibly returned.