5 dead, 14 missing while attempting to enter Iran illegally from Afghanistan

Victims believed to have died from thirst, extreme heat in deserts of southwestern Nimroz province

Afghan security forces recovered the bodies of five people who were attempting to enter Iran illegally but died from thirst and extreme heat in the deserts of southwestern Nimroz province, local media reported on Sunday.

Efforts are underway to locate another 14 people who remain missing, local broadcaster Tolo News reported, citing Nimroz police spokesman Gul Mohammad Qudrat.

The deceased were part of a 19-member group attempting to cross illegally into neighbouring Iran through remote desert areas spanning Helmand and Nimroz provinces.

Many Afghans, particularly young people, attempt to enter Iran illegally in search of work.

Last year, dozens of Afghan migrants died from exposure to freezing temperatures while attempting to cross into Iran.

According to the United Nations Refugee Agency, about 780,000 Afghan refugees reside in Iran. The Iranian government's headcount in 2022 indicated the number of Afghans in Iran was around 2.6 million. 

Iran holds an aggressive policy when it comes to Afghan refugees, with a staggering 1.5 million Afghan nationals sent back in 2025, according to the United Nations' International Organisation for Migration.