Iran’s Interior Minister says the Islamic Republic has deported about 1.3 million foreign nationals over the past year as part of its ongoing crackdown on illegal migrants.
Minister Ahmad Vahidi is urging the need for “legislative reform” to prevent the entry of unauthorized individuals, stating, “To block the entry of unauthorized foreign nationals into Iran, it is necessary to amend the relevant laws in the parliament.”
Vahidi also said several of the deported individuals had managed to re-enter Iran, hinting that more stringent measures may be necessary to keep refugees out of the country.
Numbers from 2022 suggest that Iran houses one of the world’s largest refugee populations – with about 3.4 million reportedly living in the country.
Although specific details regarding the nationalities of those deported remain unclear, the majority of refugees in Iran are of Afghan origin.
The influx of Afghan migrants increased following the Taliban’s return to power in the summer of 2021.
Iran’s own reports suggest that about 5 million Afghans currently live in Iran, though it’s unclear how many Afghans currently reside in Iran illegally. Estimates from the UNHCR say that around 780,000 registered Afghan refugees live in Iran.
Previously, Iranian officials have expressed their intent to deport at least half of the 5 million, citing a lack of necessary documentation for residency in the country.
Last year, the UNHCR renewed its non-return advisory to Afghanistan, advising against forcibly returning Afghan nationals, including those who are asylum seekers whose claims for asylum in Iran have been rejected.
Neighboring Pakistan has taken similar and extensive actions to deport Afghan refugees residing in the country.
