by Fidel Rahmati in Khaama Press, Oct3, 2023
Recent investigations reveal that the number of Afghan refugees in Iran has surged from approximately 2 million to 5 million over the past two years despite ongoing reports of mistreatment.
Fadahossein Maleki, a member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, recently announced that the “migration trend from Afghanistan” has been reviewed by this commission.
On Sunday, Mr Maleki told the ILNA news agency: “The influx of many migrants, most of whom enter illegally, has raised concerns for our people, and these concerns are valid.”
He also called on Iran’s representative to the President’s Office for Afghan Affairs to reconsider their strategies regarding the Taliban administration: “The diplomatic apparatus or the special representative of the president, who has extensive powers, should reconsider their policies towards the Taliban, who are the current rulers of Afghanistan.”
Meanwhile, some Tehran newspapers have also addressed the issue of Afghan migrants in Iran.
The state-owned newspaper “Iran” highlighted the words of a political analyst in its headline, stating that “anti-Afghan sentiment is a security threat.” The analyst mentioned that out of 5 to 6 million people, only 10% entered illegally, and the rest obtained visas to come to Iran.
Accurate and official statistics of individuals entering Iran from Afghanistan do not exist.
Iranian media, citing the country’s Ministry of Interior, have reported that before the Taliban took over Afghanistan, 2 million people lived in Iran. However, this number has now increased to 5 million.
Unemployment and an uncertain future in Afghanistan have forced millions of Afghans to migrate.
https://www.khaama.com/afghan-refugee-population-in-iran-surges-to-5-million/
