Iran Minister: Illegal immigrants to be returned to Afghanistan

TEHRAN (TOLOnews): The Iranian Minister of Interior Ahmad Wahidi once again emphasized that the citizens of Afghanistan who are living in Iran illegally should be returned to their country. Wahidi did not name a group or a country, but he added that the “enemy” wants to start anti-Afghan sentiments by creating a conflict between Afghans and Iranians. Wahidi emphasized that Tehran also has plans for immigrants with documents. “When the Taliban came here, I told them that you should prepare the ground for them (Afghan immigrants) to return to their country. After all, everyone should return to their own lives. You should come up with a mechanism for their return, and they said to give us some time,” said Wahidi. “Different countries and organizations should continue their humanitarian aid to the refugees who need help, regardless of the internal conditions of Afghanistan,” said Asifa Stanikzai, a women’s rights activist. Meanwhile, some refugees have said that they face harassment in different cities in Iran. According to them, Afghan immigrants are first arrested and then deported. “Immigrants in Iran are divided into two categories, undocumented refugees are forced into deportation and other immigrants face many economic challenges,” said Muslim, an Afghan refugee. “In Iran, immigrants face unemployment and those who do not have legal documents issued by the Iranian government are deprived of citizenship rights, such as owning a house, going to school, and traveling,” said Zabiullah Mahzon, an Afghan refugee. The Islamic Emirate asked neighboring countries, including Iran, not to persecute Afghan immigrants. “The countries where the Afghan immigrants have lived should be given a chance, and the oppression of the immigrants should be stopped,” said Zabiullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate. Earlier, some Iranian media had reported through Ahmad Wahidi, that there are currently nearly 5 million Afghan citizens living in Iran.