Acting Minister of Refugees, Iranian Ambassador Discuss Afghan Refugee Problems in Kabul

Afghanistan acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation met on Sunday in Kabul with Hassan Kazemi Qomi, Iranian ambassador, a statement said.

According to the statement, acting minister of refugees Khalil Rahman Haqqani and ambassador Qomi discussed the issues facing Afghan refugees in Iran, including those that arise during the Hajj ceremony, cooperation with Afghan immigrants, the simplicity of transferring the bodies of Afghans who pass away in Iran, and good behaviour toward Afghan migrants.

According to Qomi, quoted by the ministry, he would work to improve relationships between the two countries and discuss the issues above with the Iranian officials.

In February, Iran handed over the Afghan embassy in Tehran to the Taliban and accepted Taliban-appointed diplomats without recognizing the Taliban government.

Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, a significant number of Afghan nationals have fled their country to Iran and Pakistan due to the fear of Taliban persecution, security threats, poverty, and a high rate of unemployment.

According to the report, between 2.1 and 2.6 million undocumented Afghans, including former residential permit cards, lived in Iran between 2020 and the second half of 2022.

Since most of these Afghan migrants entered Iran illegally, facing several challenges and difficulties.

Moreover, in the recent past, scores of Afghan migrants have returned to Afghanistan from Iran; some refugees are forced to leave the host country while others return home willingly.

In addition, last week, eleven Afghan citizens were shot dead by Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchistan province who were trying to enter Iran illegally, media reports said.

There are many different ways in which Afghans’ human rights have been violated in Iran, including forced deportation, denial of the right to an education, lack of employment opportunities, forced labour, lack of access to healthcare, denial of the right to freedom, restriction on their freedom of movement, forced family separation, routine physical abuse, and mistreatment in detention and deportation facilities.

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