The Rise Of The Taliban In Afghanistan: Implications For Iran

Kate Deebrah
Master in Health Science (MHSc) candidate in Global Health Systems (GHS).

Since the Taliban’s invasion of Afghanistan in May 2021, over 6 million Afghans have been driven from their homes due to political violence, armed conflict, and state repression (EUAA, 2023). Major economic reforms in Afghanistan, including the introduction of gendered laws, have led to a large or total loss of income for many households (Schmid, 2016). Women’s exclusion from the workforce has limited Afghanistan’s overall productivity and economic growth, leading to a rise in prices for transportation, shelter, and food staples. These changes have exacerbated poverty and economic inequality rates, especially since most of the Afghan population live below the poverty line (Rose, 2021). The resulting effects of the invasion has led to a major influx of refugees into neighbouring countries, with many choosing to flee to Iran because of cultural commonalities, geopolitics, and the ease of crossing the country’s difficult to enforce 900 km border (Wolf, 2021). However, the widespread lack of access to predicated documents, such as passports, birth certificates, and national I.D. cards, has left many Afghans stateless (Bahram, 2000). With no alternatives to escape persecution, many Afghans are forced to illegally cross the border using the aid of smugglers and fake documents. On their journey, they often cross deadly environments, such as deserts or mountains (Fowler, 2016). These routes are dangerous and frequently result in the loss of lives due to harsh weather conditions and a lack of vital supplies (Christensen, 2023). Those that are caught face severe consequences from Iran’s front-end border control, including imprisonment, torture, assault, and deportation.

Over the past couple of years, the political environment in Iran has changed significantly. The introduction of highly restrictive U.S. sanctions since 1979, with intensification in 2018, have limited the Iran’s ability to trade and engage in diplomatic relations with allies of the US (Wolf, 2021). To date, Iran is one of three countries in the world on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) blacklist (FATF, 2024). The FATF is a public noncomplier list which incentivizes financial institutions to shift their services and resources away from countries on the blacklist (FATF, 2024). This has led to an embargo on Iranian oil exports, restrictions on foreign trade and technology, and the freezing of assets held by the Central Bank of Iran (FATF, 2024). The implementation of these sanctions has led to considerable changes in Iran’s economic growth and, thus, its ability to provide for its citizens and support refugees. Years of economic pressure have led to an increase in Iran’s sovereignty over limited social, economic, and medical resources (Wolf, 2021)⁴. In response to these pressures, Iran has turned to front-end border enforcement, information and communication technologies, identity cards, and biometric technology to manage and control the flow of refugees and migrants. These measures have reshaped Iran’s approach to national security and immigration policy, affecting Iranians' public standing on refugee status and citizen arrangements.

Front-end Border Enforcement

Similar to countries in the Global North, Iran has begun to exercise its right of choice in the resettlement of refugees, claiming that selection processes are a “right to sovereign assertion^” (Mountz, 2020). In doing so, the country has facilitated some of the most advanced front-end border enforcement strategies to protect its border, maintain the safety of its citizens, and stop the spontaneous arrival of undocumented immigrants (Mountz, 2020). This includes physical barriers such as walls and fences that are strategically placed along key entry points to deter ‘illegal’ crossings (Mountz, 2020). These barriers are often reinforced by patrols and monitoring stations equipped with advanced technology. Iran’s efforts to manage migration extend beyond its borders through cooperation with neighboring countries. Bilateral and multilateral agreements facilitate information sharing, joint patrols, and coordinated responses to migration challenges (Noor, 2021).

Information and Communication Technologies

To address the issue of international migration, the Iranian government has sought to control the Afghan population and their movement through the use of a variety of information and communication technologies (ICTs). These measures have been employed to continue the subjugation and exclusion of migrant populations.

ICTs have had a transformative impact on how Iran has managed migration flows, particularly those of precarious migrants (Btihaj, 2013). The integration of smart borders has allowed Iranian officials to expand monitoring and surveillance methods to make their borders more effective at deterring unwanted migrants (Noor, 2021). ICTs have allowed the government to control undesirable cross-border mobility, thereby minimizing the number of undocumented Afghans who make it onto their sovereign territory and claim asylum. ICTs have also increased the surveillance and frequency at which travellers are identified, speeding up the processes of deportation (Noor, 2021). This technology has allowed the government to systematically exclude and oppress Afghans through mechanisms of identification and social sorting (Noor, 2021).

Identity Cards & Surveillance

Within the past decade, the Iranian government developed Amayesh identity cards designed to manage the movement of Afghans and confine them to designated urban areas and refugee settlements (Christensen, 2023). As a result, the implementation of these identity cards gave legal authorities the ability to control refugees’ access to free subsidies and resources such as healthcare, food, and education (Bahram, 2000). While these identity cards improved migrant communities' access to basic rights, it also contributed to the creation of spatialized geographies that segregated anti-citizens from ‘rightful’ Iranians (Fowler, 2016). This has increased refugees' vulnerability to police brutality and hate crimes. Through this process, the government was able to create structures of exception where bare life, such as asylum seekers, could be separated from political life through both their inclusion and exclusion (Btihaj, 2013). Gradually, through enforcement, Amayesh cards became the only system for renewing refugee status in Iran (EUAA, 2023).

Consequently, these identity cards became the only valid source of documentation for Afghan communities (EUAA, 2023). Under this stratagem, the Iranian government has been able to close its border and prevent new refugee registrations from being made (EUAA, 2023). The increasing addition of new policies has made the renewal process for government identity cards considerably more difficult, with refugees being required to return to their country of origin to renew their visas at the Iranian embassy (EUAA, 2023). In accordance, Amayesh identity cards have left even legitimate and long-term refugees at risk of forced repatriation, splitting families and leaving children behind (Christensen, 2020). In this way, Amayesh cards have created tense and precarious situations for Afghan asylum seekers, as well as being in direct violation of the 1951 Convention and 1967 Protocol, of which Iran is a signatory (Rose, 2021).

Biometric Technology

In addition, the new database BAFIA-SIAM has been used to enforce border control. This system has allowed government authorities to identify and locate all registered and expired Amayesh users across the country using facial recognition and fingerprint biometrics (EUAA, 2023). The implementation of this server has allowed borders to be internalized and reimagined (Jackson, 2003). Through the collaboration of state and federal policing, legal authorities have gained the ability to target migrant communities and refugees with expired Amayesh cards based on their nationalities (Jackson, 2003). In this way, the creation of biopower through BAFIA-SIAM has made Afghan refugees even more vulnerable, as they are forced to return to a country that is even more dangerous than when they first left.

Overall, the issue of Afghan asylum seekers in Iran is complex and deeply rooted in historical changes in state power, sovereignty, and citizenship. Over the past decades, the Iranian state has used its increased centralization and control over refugee policies to limit the rights of Afghan refugees and frame them as a threat to national security (Jackson, 2003). However, this policy of exclusion and oppression has only served to exacerbate the instability of the situation for Afghan asylum seekers. As the international community continues to grapple with the protection of refugee human rights in the modern era, the need to rethink our understanding of citizenship and state power will become increasingly important for ensuring a safe and secure environment for all refugees.

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