The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said that it has summoned diplomats of the Iran embassy in Kabul to share concerns about the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran.
“The second deputy political minister of political affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Faizanullah Nasiri, met officials from the embassy of Iran in Kabul and discussed the misconduct of the Iranian border forces with the Afghan refugees,” a MoFA statement said.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Refugee and Repatriation said that more than 2,200 Afghan refugees were deported by Iran in the last day, and, according to the ministry, the number of Afghan deportees by Iran surpassed 14,000 last week.
“Around seven to eight million Afghan nationals went to Iran. The Afghan government should facilitate an environment so the people (Afghans) will not go to Iran,” said Sayed Abas Badrifar, Iran embassy’s press counselor.
“I went there and saw that the Iranian citizens and government were misbehaving with the us and I was forced to come back to my country,” said a deportee.
But what are the fundamental rights of the refugees based on international manners?
Political analyst Mujtaba Karimi told TOLOnews: “The mechanism of 1966 indicates that the refugees should be ensured basic rights and countries are obliged to provide the refugees with their rights”
“The forced deportation of the Afghan refugees by Iran contrasts with international commitments. Iran must treat Afghan refugees based on neighborly values,” said Sayed Haroon Hashimi, a political analyst.
Videos showing Afghan refugees facing harassment recently went viral on social media, but the Iran embassy in Kabul denied the issue.
Lodging places for travelers in the western province of Herat are overwhelmed with hundreds of Afghans who are seeking to illegally cross the border into neighboring Iran. People interviewed by TOLOnews are crossing from Nimroz province, which borders Iran.
Abdul Aziz is a resident of Faryab who came to Herat to find a human trafficker.
“I must go. If there was no need, I would never have wanted to,” he said.
There are many children among the passengers.
Some of these people are going to Pakistan and from there to Iran.
“Our business is better now than before because the people are coming from other provinces to go to Iran. Only 30 percent of them have visas and the other 70 percent is using illegal ways,” said Ferozuddin, an owner of an inn.
There are also many educated people among the passengers who became jobless after the fall of the former government.
“Our youth should have some patience to consider the situation. We understand that there are some problems but they should overcome them and not seek illegal ways to other countries,” said Naeemulhaq Haqqani, head of the provincial department of Information and Culture.
As Afghanistan struggles with a deteriorated economy, thousands of youth are seeking to leave the country in a bid to find jobs and make ends meet.—Tolonews
