The bodies of five Afghan migrants who were attempting to enter Iran through an irregular border crossing have been found in the desert of western Afghanistan’s Nimroz province, local security officials said.
Gul Mohammad Qudrat, spokesperson for the Nimroz Provincial Police Command, said a total of 14 other members of the same group remain missing.
According to Qudrat, the group of 19 people was attempting to reach Iran through the remote desert areas of Nimroz and Helmand provinces when they lost their way. He said they became stranded in extreme heat and without access to water, resulting in the deaths.
Authorities have so far recovered the bodies of five migrants, while search operations by security forces are continuing to locate the remaining 14 people, the spokesperson said.
Afghanistan has witnessed a steady flow of people attempting to migrate to neighboring Iran through irregular routes, driven by limited employment opportunities and difficult economic conditions. Many undertake dangerous journeys across remote desert areas, where some lose their lives due to dehydration, extreme temperatures, or other hazards.
The incident comes as Iran has deported more than one million Afghan migrants over the past two years, according to official figures and international agencies. The large-scale returns have placed additional pressure on Afghanistan’s fragile economy and labor market, where unemployment and humanitarian challenges remain widespread.
