Iranian Government Orders Afghan Migrants to Obtain Permission for Anti-Taliban Protests

According to a notice published by the Directorate General for the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) of Razavi Khorasan Province, “any form of gathering requires undergoing legal procedures and obtaining prior authorization from competent authorities.”

In recent days, a large number of Afghan women have been detained in Herat and other Afghan cities, and protests in their support have been severely suppressed by the Taliban government. Following this widespread crackdown, some Afghan youths had published calls on social media networks to hold a protest rally in Mashhad in front of the Taliban-controlled Afghan consulate.

On Wednesday and Thursday, June 10 and 11, 2026, a group of Afghan women also staged protest gatherings in front of the Afghan Embassy and the United Nations office in Tehran.

The Tasnim news agency, which is affiliated with the IRGC, published the notice from the Directorate General for the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs of Razavi Khorasan Province on Friday, June 12. The notice emphasized that “any call, gathering, or sit-in by foreign nationals residing in Iran without receiving an official permit is illegal and will face legal action.”

The BAFIA Directorate of Razavi Khorasan also urged Afghan migrants to organize their activities in accordance with the laws and regulations of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The notice emphasized that holding unauthorized gatherings could entail “legal repercussions and consequences.”

The Islamic Republic has maintained close relations with the Taliban government over the past four years, and the Taliban has likewise supported the regime of the Islamic Republic during military attacks by Israel and the United States against Iran.

On February 15, Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson for the Taliban government, spoke regarding the military conflicts between the U.S. and Iran, stating that in the event of an Iranian request, “the people of Afghanistan are ready to sympathize and cooperate to the best of their ability.”

The government’s warning to Afghan migrants residing in Iran who intend to form peaceful gatherings in protest against the suppression of their compatriots has raised concerns among some human rights activists regarding further complications for migrants in Iran.

At the onset of the 12-day war in June of last year, Iran deported thousands of Afghan migrants back to their country, accusing them of “spying for Israel.”