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Amid the ongoing conflict in the region, Iran and Afghanistan are grappling with a severe migration crisis. Since the beginning of the year, 1.2 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran back to Afghanistan, placing an immense burden on a country already struggling with poverty, instability and limited resources.

Neighboring Iran and Afghanistan are bound by centuries of shared history. Their peoples are connected by cultural, linguistic and religious ties. From the days of the Persian Empire to the modern era, the two nations have moved between unity and divergence, particularly after the 1979 Iranian Revolution. For decades, what is now Afghanistan was considered part of the greater Persian Empire, a legacy that is still visible in their shared identities.

The formation of distinct nation states brought about formal borders; however, the bonds remain strong, shaped by common heritage and geographical proximity. These ties have made migration between the two countries both natural and frequent. The presence of Persian-speaking communities, especially the Hazara minority, and an open border have long facilitated Afghan movement into Iran, whether for work, refuge or as a transit country to Turkiye and Europe.

After 1979, Iran began using Afghan migrants as a........

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