KABUL (Pajhwok): Iran has agreed to join a trilateral meeting in Kabul aimed at addressing the growing challenges faced by Afghan refugees, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) announced on Sunday.
The meeting, expected to take place soon in Kabul, will involve representatives from the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), Iran and the UNHCR.
Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Maulvi Abdul Kabir, met with UNHCR’s representative in Afghanistan, Arafat Jamal, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) on X account.
During the meeting, Jamal described the recent visit of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, to Afghanistan as both significant and fruitful.
He noted that the UN has intensified its efforts to mobilise the necessary financial resources to support Afghan refugees and returnees.
Jamal confirmed that Iranian officials have expressed their willingness to attend the upcoming technical meeting.
He explained that detailed discussions would be held concerning the challenges faced by Afghan returnees and those still residing in Iran.
He added that further multilateral meetings will continue to be convened in order to address the issues facing Afghan migrants. One such meeting is planned for the near future in Doha, Qatar, where international aid agencies and Afghan officials will explore potential funding opportunities.
For his part, Maulvi Abdul Kabir emphasised the importance of the planned trilateral meeting and welcomed Iran’s participation.
He reaffirmed that the caretaker government is fully prepared for the discussions and stressed that international cooperation is essential for resolving the refugee crisis.
He reiterated the caretaker government’s commitment to supporting returnees and refugees, stating that it would not withhold any of its own resources in this regard.
The two sides also discussed the meeting’s agenda, the number of participants, and other logistical arrangements.
Iran has recently intensified the deportation of Afghan refugees. Over the past month alone, more than 700,000 Afghan migrants have returned to the country.
