Left To Suffer: Afghan Migrant Dies From Heat, Thirst And Abuse In Iranian Detention Camp

A 60-year-old Afghan migrant, Baqir Rezaei, has died in a detention camp in Zabol, Iran, reportedly due to forced labor, extreme heat, and lack of water. According to his relatives, Iranian authorities detained him and others without food or water and forced them to work under unbearable conditions.

According to the family, Baqir Rezaei had recently obtained an official exit permit and was traveling from Kerman to Sistan and Baluchestan when he was intercepted by Iranian officers and transferred to a migrant holding camp in Zabol. He had no prior health issues, and his death was attributed solely to heat and thirst.

Rezaei passed away on Monday, July 1, and his body was returned to his hometown in Malistan district, Ghazni province, Afghanistan. His official death notice states that he died on the border while returning home due to exposure to intense heat and dehydration.

One of Rezaei's sons claimed that other migrants in the camp also collapsed from exhaustion. He said that out of 35 individuals who lost consciousness from heat and thirst, eight died-including his father. These accounts point to dangerously inhumane conditions in migrant detention facilities.

Baqir Rezaei had legally entered Iran in late 2021 and held official census registration papers. His case has raised growing concerns about Iran's treatment of Afghan migrants, many of whom are being held in camps without access to basic services like clean water, food, and medical aid.

According to Nader YarAhmadi, head of Iran's Bureau for Foreign Nationals and Immigrants, more than 717,000 Afghan migrants have been expelled from Iran since the beginning of the current solar year. Deportations have reached unprecedented levels, with tens of thousands of Afghans returning daily through border points like Islam Qala.

Many deportees have reported mistreatment by Iranian guards, including physical abuse, humiliation, and theft. Testimonies from returnees reveal that deaths in detention camps are not isolated incidents, yet Iranian officials and the Taliban have failed to offer explanations or take action.

Conditions in these camps are especially dire during the summer months. Migrants describe being forced into labor, denied healthcare, and held for long periods in overcrowded facilities without adequate food or drinking water. Some claim they were extorted by camp officials before release.

In the midst of this humanitarian crisis, the UN Population Fund reported a small sign of hope. On July 5, a woman gave birth to a baby girl at their clinic near the Islam Qala border, amid the chaos of mass deportations. UNFPA referred to the newborn as a“ray of hope” in a dark and dangerous situation.

Human rights organizations are calling for urgent international oversight and humanitarian access to migrant camps in Iran. Without accountability or intervention, advocates warn, the situation will only worsen-putting thousands of lives, including children and elderly migrants, at immediate risk.

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