TEHRAN – Some 328,000 Afghan migrants who had illegally entered Iran during the first half of the Iranian calendar year (starting on March 21), were sent back through the borders of the northeastern Khorasan Razavi province, IRNA reported.

The commander of Khorasan Razavi province’s border police, Majid Shoja, said that 488,000 Afghans have officially and legally entered the country within the same period.

On August 1, more than 7,500 illegal Afghan migrants were deported to their home country.

In line with the policy to deal with illegal migration, the border police identified 7,563 undocumented Afghan nationals and sent them back to their country via the Dogharon border in Khorasan Razavi province,” Shoja added.

“Foreign nationals should enter the country through legal and official gateways, otherwise they will be dealt with decisively.”

Official statistics say around five million Afghan nationals live in Iran, about one million of them live in Khorasan Razavi province, mostly in the capital city of Mashhad.

For over four decades, Iran has been hosting one of the largest and most protracted refugee situations in the world and has provided asylum to refugees, mostly from Afghanistan.

The recent fast-paced turn of events in Afghanistan has the potential to create additional population movements; internally displacing families and potentially driving them to neighboring countries to seek refuge.

Iran is home to over 800,000 registered refugees and some 2.6 million undocumented Afghans. Today, more than 500,000 Afghan children- including undocumented Afghans and those who have newly arrived in Iran are benefitting from Iran’s inclusive education policies, one of the most progressive in the world.

Despite the sanctions and economic pressures, Iran continues its comprehensive policy of providing services to refugees, and this is appreciable, UNHCR’s Officer in Charge, Inna Gladkova, said in November 2022.

The best solution and the most stable support system for refugees is that have access to schools and education just like Iranian nationals, she stated, IRNA reported.

Iran has taken effective and continuous measures to include all refugees, and the UNHCR also declares its readiness to fulfill its obligations, she noted.

In May, Robin Nandy, the representative of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) in Iran, said the country’s comprehensive program for the protection of refugee children is encouraging.

Making investments in programs and services to better care for and support children affected by migration and asylum will reduce costs in the future, he added.

Emphasizing the important role of non-governmental organizations in supporting refugee and immigrant children and teenagers, Nandy expressed hope that holding educational workshops will lead to the promotion of children's rights and justice for children.

MT/MG