TEHRAN – In a recent meeting between Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation and the Director General for South Asia at Iran’s Foreign Ministry, the Taliban called for joint meetings with Tehran to address the situation of Afghan migrants.

According to reports on Saturday, Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Mawlawi Abdul Kabir met with Mohammad Reza Bahrami and his accompanying delegation in Kabul. During the meeting, Abdul Kabir highlighted the deep historical ties between the two nations and expressed appreciation for Iran’s decades-long hospitality toward Afghan migrants. He also called for continued Islamic compassion in Iran’s treatment of these migrants.

The Taliban official noted that Kabul is implementing plans for the voluntary return of Afghan refugees and revealed that 46 residential townships are currently under construction to accommodate returnees.

In response, Bahrami acknowledged the presence of several million Afghan nationals in Iran, many of whom lack legal documentation. He emphasized the need for greater cooperation between the two countries to address ongoing challenges and extended an official invitation to the acting minister to visit Tehran.

The Iranian diplomat also welcomed Afghanistan’s housing initiative, describing it as a positive step toward facilitating the voluntary return of migrants to their homeland.

The Islamic Republic of Iran is host to one of the largest and most protracted refugee populations in the world, the majority of whom are Afghan refugees.

The country 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 - are benefitting from Iran’s inclusive education policies, one of the most progressive in the world.

In case the international community refrains from taking responsibility and fairly sharing the burden of hosting refugees, the Islamic Republic of Iran will probably revise its immigration policies, Nader Yar-Ahmadi, an official with the National Organization for Migration, has said.