Naderyar Ahmadi, head of the Migration Affairs Department of Iran’s Ministry of Interior, has called on the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) to increase its budget due to the many Afghan refugees in Iran.
He made these remarks on Saturday, October 19, in Geneva, during a meeting with Filippo Grandi, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.
Ahmadi pointed out that the UNHCR has not adequately addressed the needs of Afghan refugees in Iran and emphasized that resettling vulnerable refugees in third countries remains one of Iran’s priorities.
According to the Iranian official, reducing the UNHCR budget for refugees in Iran has caused significant problems, including challenges in the educational system.
Iran’s request for UN support comes at a time when pressure on Afghan refugees in the country has been increasing in recent months.
Reports indicate that hundreds of Afghan refugees in various cities across Iran have been banned from working, studying, and participating in other activities.
Despite this, Iran continues to deport hundreds of Afghan refugees daily back to Afghanistan.
Currently, more than 2.5 million Afghan refugees are living in Iran illegally, according to official statistics.
The dire situation for Afghan refugees in Iran, coupled with the country’s ongoing deportations, underscores the urgent need for international assistance and intervention to address the humanitarian challenges faced by these displaced individuals.
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