For four decades, Iran has welcomed and hosted Afghans fleeing from conflict and persecution. In fact, it hosts more refugees than any other country in the world. We’ve assisted displaced people in Iran since 2012. Now, we are working to improve protection and humanitarian services across 11 provinces. At times of extreme need, we expand our programmes to help – for instance, during the Covid-19 pandemic or when disasters strike.
NRC in Iran
What’s happening in Iran?
Iran has long been a sanctuary for displaced Afghan families, with numbers rising sharply since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Today, thousands of Afghans enter Iran every day, usually via informal border crossings.
Once there, they join the vast population of Afghan refugees who’ve been in the country for years, some even for decades. Many of these people have grown up in exile. Iran is the only home they’ve ever known. And under its long-standing inclusive refugee policies, all Afghans have been eligible for primary healthcare and Afghan children have been able to study in local public schools.
Yet, in late 2024, the Iranian authorities approved a deportation plan to send two million Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan by March 2025. This caused a huge, unprecedented increase in both deportations and voluntary returns – five times more than the year before.
Only undocumented Afghans are in danger of deportation. But all previously valid forms of refugee documentation have now been annulled in favour of the newly introduced Smart ID Card – and many Afghans haven’t received these vital cards, due to lengthy bureaucratic procedures and financial restraints.
Without ID cards, these refugees are unable to benefit from public resources, access essential services or obtain work permits. Unprotected against deportation and living in a state of desperation and uncertainty, they are in critical need of humanitarian support.
Region: Asia
Population: 89.8 million
Total displaced: 215,716
Total refugees hosted: 3.7 million
What’s happening in Iran?
Iran has long been a sanctuary for displaced Afghan families, with numbers rising sharply since the Taliban takeover in 2021. Today, thousands of Afghans enter Iran every day, usually via informal border crossings.
Once there, they join the vast population of Afghan refugees who’ve been in the country for years, some even for decades. Many of these people have grown up in exile. Iran is the only home they’ve ever known. And under its long-standing inclusive refugee policies, all Afghans have been eligible for primary healthcare and Afghan children have been able to study in local public schools.
Yet, in late 2024, the Iranian authorities approved a deportation plan to send two million Afghan refugees back to Afghanistan by March 2025. This caused a huge, unprecedented increase in both deportations and voluntary returns – five times more than the year before.
Only undocumented Afghans are in danger of deportation. But all previously valid forms of refugee documentation have now been annulled in favour of the newly introduced Smart ID Card – and many Afghans haven’t received these vital cards, due to lengthy bureaucratic procedures and financial restraints.
Without ID cards, these refugees are unable to benefit from public resources, access essential services or obtain work permits. Unprotected against deportation and living in a state of desperation and uncertainty, they are in critical need of humanitarian support.
Our response
We’re working with our partners in the following areas:
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Water, sanitation and hygiene – distributing hygiene kits and installing latrines, showers and handwashing facilities in refugee settlements and schools.
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Shelter and settlements – building shelters and community infrastructure, including playgrounds, community centres and sport courts.
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Livelihoods and food security – providing cash assistance to cover basic essentials, running income-generating workshops and training young people in vocational skills like tailoring.
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Education – renovating classrooms, distributing learning materials and providing cash assistance so families can continue to send their children to school.
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Protection from violence – a newly established programme promotes the rights of at-risk refugees and host communities by helping them access protection, health and psychosocial wellbeing services.
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Information, counselling and legal assistance – ensuring people have proper documentation and can maintain their legal status in Iran.
Our operations
NRC office established: 2012
Areas of operation: Alborz, Hormozgan, Kerman, Markazi, Qom, Razavi Khorasan, Semnan, Sistan and Baluchestan, South Khorasan, Tehran, Yazd
Country Director: Abdirahman Jama
Contact: ir.info@nrc.no
Our impact
In 2023, we assisted 58,809 people through our programmes in Iran:
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8,360Education
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8,450Livelihoods and food security
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21,601Shelter and settlements
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8Protection from violence
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14,394Information, counselling and legal assistance
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22,715Water, sanitation and hygiene
Note: some people received more than one type of assistance.
