In a rare move, the US government deported a planeload of Iranians back to their home country in September—an operation that took months of negotiation between the Trump administration and Tehran and resulted in the first chartered deportation flight of its kind. One of those sent back, 34-year-old Mehrdad Dalir, describes the ordeal as a "nightmare" to the New York Times, recounting how he was shackled, cuffed, and dressed in prison-issue clothes, denied the chance to change before boarding. Dalir, a political dissident who fled Iran with his family years earlier, said he resisted boarding along with other deportees—some of whom were Christian converts or ethnic minorities—fearing for his safety. The Trump administration has made mass deportations a signature policy, even to nations with shoddy human rights records like Iran, where deportees say they face serious risks.
Historically, Iranians seeking asylum often found refuge in the US, but that has now shifted. US officials claim all 54 Iranians on the flight had final removal orders (or ones allowing them to leave voluntarily) and were given due process, with some accused of terrorism or fraud. Dalir denies such ties and says he fled Iran due to political persecution. After landing in Tehran, the deportees were questioned by Iranian officials and instructed to be available for further interrogation. Some, like Dalir, now live in fear, changing locations to avoid Iranian security agents. Others, including a man identified as AA, have fled Iran again. Tehran says hundreds more may face deportation. Dalir's family, meanwhile, remains scattered across three nations. "Each one of us is broken," says his father, who now lives in Turkey. Dalir himself is uncertain what comes next. "Which country would take me at this point?" he asks. More here.
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