A senior official of the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation said that more than 345,000 Afghans have been deported from Iran to Afghanistan over the past three months. 

Iran and Pakistan both escalated deportation of the Afghan refugees with thousands of them crossing to Afghanistan. 

"Since the first of Mizan (23rd September) till 17 Qaws (December 8) there were approximately 345,000. Each family have been provided with 10,000 Afs cash assistance by the Islamic Emirate," said Abdul Rahman Rashid, deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation.

TOLOnews interviewed the Afghan deportees who were expelled from Iran. 

Mohammad Yousuf and Fatih Khan left Afghanistan for Iran in a bid to make ends meet but both were deported by the country’s police. 

They also complained about the mistreatment of Iranian forces towards the Afghan refugees. 

"There was no work here, then we went to Iran through illegal paths. They beat us and detained us," Yousuf said. 

"They captured us and beat us. They beat us badly and forced us to return,” Khan said. 

The deportees also voiced concerns about the lack of employment in the country and called on the Islamic Emirate to make efforts to create jobs for the citizens. 

"We call on our government to provide us with work so the people are not forced to leave," said Shirin Agha, a deportee. 

"We call on the Islamic Emirate to provide us with work. Provide us with work here," Ahmadullah, a deportee.

This comes as Iranian officials have recently announced that Afghans without legal documents will be deported from Iran.

(This article was first published by ToloNews, Afghanistan)