Multiple sources among Afghan migrants and their families report that human trafficking networks operating along illegal routes through Iran, Turkey, and other regional countries are increasingly using violence and torture to extort money from migrants.
According to victims, some traffickers transfer migrants to safe houses or border areas and then subject them to severe beatings, using rifle butts, sticks, and other objects. In some cases, victims have reportedly suffered serious injuries, including wounds to the ears and other parts of the body.
Reports indicate that traffickers then force migrants to contact their families and demand money in exchange for their release. Families, desperate to save their loved ones, are often compelled to pay hundreds or even thousands of dollars to these groups.
Some families say that during phone calls, traffickers deliberately broadcast the victims’ screams and sounds of torture live in order to pressure them into making payments.
Human rights activists warn that rising poverty, unemployment, and insecurity in Afghanistan have driven many young people into the hands of human trafficking networks. They are calling on regional governments and international organizations to take stronger measures to combat human trafficking and provide support for victims.
This comes as thousands of Afghan migrants travel through dangerous migration routes via Iran and Turkey every year, with many falling victim to violence, torture, extortion, and even death.