SAEDNEWS: First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref told IRNA that Iran is working to identify and repatriate illegal Afghan migrants, citing risks to both Iranian citizens and legal Afghan residents.
First Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref says the Iranian administration is pursuing plans to identify illegal migrants from neighboring Afghanistan and facilitate their return, citing concerns that their presence poses risks to both Iranian citizens and legally residing Afghan nationals.
Aref made the remarks in an exclusive interview with IRNA published on Wednesday, where he addressed the refugee situation in Iran, particularly the influx of Afghan nationals who entered the country after the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, following the end of over two decades of U.S. military occupation of Afghanistan.
The following is the full text of the interview:
– While thanking you for giving IRNA the opportunity for this interview, I would like to address a pressing issue by drawing on your structural role as the principal coordinator of executive bodies and affiliated institutions within the government. The matter at hand is how to deal with non-Iranian nationals residing in our country. My question is this: Has the administration’s approach undergone a significant shift?
In principle, the policy of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the presence of four distinct categories of foreign nationals, namely the displaced, the homeless, asylum seekers, and migrants, regardless of their nationality, has remained clear and transparent. There has been no major shift in that policy. The administration continues to address this issue, in parallel with other ongoing matters, and in accordance with laws passed by Parliament and within the country’s current capabilities and resources.
Obviously, given the scope of responsibilities assigned to me under the Law Defining the Duties and Authority of the First Vice President, which was passed in 1993 and mandates inter-sectoral coordination and oversight of decisions made by the cabinet, I am actively following up on this matter both personally and through the structure under my supervision. To this end, an inter-sectoral task force meeting will soon be held, bringing together relevant ministries and organizations responsible for this issue. The aim is to ensure necessary coordination and to assess the various dimensions of the matter.
At the same time, it is also essential to approach this issue with a critical and analytical view to detect sticking points. Due to its unique geographical and regional situation, Iran has continually faced waves of refugees crossing its borders. The country has a long history of hosting asylum seekers who have sought refuge in Iran due to regional and even global conflicts.
Over the past century alone, different issues and problems have been created as a result. During World War II, Iran hosted more than 100,000 European refugees, mostly Polish, despite the fact that the country itself had come under invasion by the Allies from both the north and the south. Many of these refugees, having diverse national and religious backgrounds, including Jews and Christians, were resettled in Iran. Some of them even acquired Iranian citizenship, and today, their descendants are considered an asset to Iran.
During the collapse of Tsarist Russia, many people from Kazakhstan to Armenia regarded Iran as a safe haven during difficult times. To this day, we still consider them part of Iranian society, as Iranian citizens of Kazakh or Armenian descent, and so on.
Following the establishment of the Islamic Republic, Iran faced a massive influx of guests, including Afghans, Iraqis, and even displaced persons from the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. Despite the lack of full support from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and other aid organizations during the difficult years of the Sacred Defense and national reconstruction, the noble people of Iran did not withhold their hospitality and solidarity.
Today, due to the dire situation in Afghanistan—caused by foreign intervention—millions of Afghans in Iran benefit from extensive welfare, educational, and healthcare services. Naturally, our national capacity and resources have been mobilized to manage this situation, which has imposed significant costs on the national budget of a country already under harsh and unjust sanctions.
Therefore, to organize this matter effectively, a coordinated and unified management system must be established. In addition to helping this population transition through their period of displacement, efforts must be made to facilitate their dignified return to their homeland.
It is important to note that we are dealing with a diverse range of Afghan nationals, whose residency status does not conform to a single framework.
– One of the problems in recent years—especially following the return of the Taliban—has been the unregulated influx of foreign nationals who entered the country through its eastern borders and dispersed throughout Iran without any clear residency status. Currently, public attention is largely focused on determining the legal status of this population. What is your perspective on this group?
Fundamentally, it must be recognized that the illegal entry of foreign nationals into the territory of another country is considered a crime worldwide. Our national laws are no exception to this rule. Violating national sovereignty and crossing borders unlawfully should not be taken lightly. A portion of the current issue regarding the foreign nationals residing in Iran stems from this very situation.
Therefore, the matter of deporting individuals who have entered Iran illegally—and the disorderly nature of their presence—can cause irreparable harm to their fellow countrymen who reside legally in Iran. This is not an issue that can be ignored.
The Ministry of Interior and law enforcement agencies, along with other relevant institutions, are obligated to enforce the law against this group. However, we must not generalize the situation of this segment to all foreign nationals who are legally present.
Unfortunately, another dimension of the issue concerns a different group—those who enter the country legally with specific and time-bound visas, such as for tourism or medical treatment, but fail to leave Iran at the end of their permitted stay or engage in unauthorized employment. Naturally, the damage caused by this second group’s disregard for Iranian laws has compounded the problem and increased the number of foreign nationals whose continued residence is not aligned with the terms of their visas or duration of stay.
It is evident that under these circumstances, a small number of individuals lacking legal qualifications for continued residence engage in unlawful and criminal acts. Such behavior is not only considered a crime under Iranian law but also poses a threat to national security. Although this minority is small in number, they pose serious risks to our citizens and inflict significant reputational harm on the broader community of hardworking foreign nationals who have lived in Iran lawfully for many years. For this reason, appropriate legal action must be taken in this area.
– What measures have been considered to identify, enforce the law, and deport these individuals in a way that does not harm those who hold legal residency?
Naturally, the first step must involve collective vigilance and public awareness. In this regard, it is necessary that those among the population who possess legal residency take responsible action—regardless of personal considerations—against a small minority who threaten their security, attempt to infiltrate the Afghan community residing in Iran, and disrupt their peace through criminal and antisocial behavior.
Timely cooperation and reporting by our lawful guests can help preserve the foundation of empathy and solidarity between the two nations that share language, culture, and faith, and reflect the social awareness and maturity of the guest community.
It is only natural that, in managing the current situation—especially following the aggression by the Zionist regime and the United States against Iran—Afghan guests with legal residency must assume a meaningful share of responsibility. Alongside their accountability, assistance from Iranian citizens in providing intelligence and law enforcement support is also important.
That said, it must be noted that each individual in the country is responsible solely for reporting suspicious movements or disruptive actions to the relevant authorities. The enforcement of the law, however, is the duty of judicial and law enforcement bodies, which must act in accordance with the law—while offering guidance and compassion—toward those who have merely entered illegally or violated visa terms by engaging in unauthorized employment.
As for the small group who have committed or are accused of crimes, leniency must not be shown. It must be emphasized that any criminal act—whether committed by Iranian or non-Iranian nationals—is subject to punishment under the law. Certainly, in this regard, the response and legal action by the country’s law enforcement and security forces will be applied equally to unqualified offenders, whether Iranian or foreign.
– From your perspective—as someone who, for many years, served in government as First Vice President with the role of coordinating and overseeing the implementation of cabinet decisions—what policy should the Islamic Republic of Iran adopt in the current circumstances, given its longstanding support for the people of Afghanistan throughout the years of jihad against Soviet aggression, the civil war, and the present situation?
If we reflect on the remarks of the Leader in the summer of 2021, it becomes clear that the responsibility of the Iranian government and nation in the face of Afghanistan’s prolonged crisis has been well defined. He emphasized that throughout the past years—and certainly in the future—the overarching actions and behavior of the Islamic Republic of Iran have not been influenced by the nature of Afghanistan’s governments, but rather, our policies in all aspects have been directed toward the dear people of our neighboring country.
As the Leader stated at the time, ‘Governments come and go, but what remains is the Afghan nation.’ Regardless of linguistic, ethnic, racial, religious, or even sectarian ties, we share a rich cultural and civilizational heritage with Afghanistan. There exists a kind of intertwined identity between us that political changes have not been able to erase. Afghanistan has historically been one of the domains of our shared and unified culture and civilization.
It is no coincidence that in previous years, the Leader declared that education for Afghan children residing in Iran should be free, universal, and treated as a necessity, just like for Iranian citizens. From this perspective, a unified, peaceful, and successful Afghanistan is a reliable and valuable pillar of support for Iran.
Therefore, the people of our two brotherly and neighboring countries must not be swayed by fleeting emotions or fabricated sentiments spread through social media, often promoted by malicious individuals and intelligence services.
The noble people of Afghanistan have endured many years of hardship in recent decades, yet they have stood firm and proud, defending their identity, faith, language, and ancestral beliefs.
The future of our two culturally connected neighbors depends on preserving deep social ties between our nations. Therefore, we must remain fully vigilant to prevent foreign hands from sowing division and separation.
Iran’s strength in defending itself is undeniable today, and Muslim countries—through the statement issued by member states of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Istanbul—have shown that any fracture in our regional and Islamic unity can embolden the reckless Zionist regime and its supporters.
Today, our people are proud to have the support and solidarity of Muslims around the world, and we must cherish this blessing.
According to official reports, from the moment the Zionist regime’s aggression against Iran became known, the concerned eyes of past and present Afghan officials and the honorable people of Afghanistan turned toward Iran.
The decisive and forceful response of our Armed Forces during those 12 days of Iranian strength sparked a wave of joy and pride among Muslim nations, especially among the empathetic and kindred people of Afghanistan. This is a great asset for the Islamic world and for Iran, and it must be kept in mind.
