Illegal refugees to be expelled from Semnan province in a year
Illegal refugees to be expelled from Semnan province in a year
TEHRAN –By the end of the next Iranian calendar year 1404 (March 20, 2026), all undocumented foreign nationals in Semnan province will be dispatched to their home countries.
Semnan province, following Qom, is hosting the highest number of immigrants in the country.
In recent decades, illegal Afghan nationals have entered the country in large numbers posing many problems in the country, Mehr news agency reported.
According to the latest census in 2016, foreign nationals comprise 2.1 percent of the whole population of the country, of whom 97.8 percent are Afghan nationals, and Semnan province hosts the largest number of foreign nationals in proportion to its population, IRNA reported.
Some 35,000 immigrants are residing in Semnan province with over 10,000 students of foreign nationals benefiting from educational services.
The head of the National Organization for Migration, Nader Yar-Ahmadi, has announced the expulsion of about 3 million illegal citizens over the past three years.
“The harsh conditions prevailing in Afghanistan have led to the re-entry of Afghan nationals into the country. Thanks to police efforts, unauthorized immigrants will be expelled,” ISNA quoted Yar-Ahmadi as saying.
Some 4,000 authorized Afghans enter Iran daily
In November 2024, Yar-Ahmadi said nearly 4,000 Afghans with valid passports enter the country every day.
Approximately, six million Afghans, including documented and undocumented ones, are residing in the country, ILNA quoted Nader Yar-Ahmadi as saying.
Migration can be due to many factors such as regional crises including political, social, and even natural crises which provoke social changes.
Most of the foreign nationals in the country are unauthorized. They will be located and dispatched to their home country. However, they still receive services. The rest needs to be organized, Yar-Ahmadi noted.
Stating that foreign nationals entering any country need a deposit of at least 100,000 dollars for a one-year residence permit, the official said the country is looking for thorough documentation of individuals who have entered the country to organize them better.
In August 2024, the deputy chairman of the Majlis National Security and Foreign Policy Committee said, “The establishment of a national organization responsible for protecting the rights of immigrants and refugees is in the final stages.”
The organization will utilize a precise and managed approach to organize foreign nationals, deal with undocumented migrants, and maintain the security and peace of the country, Mehr news agency quoted Ebrahim Azizi as saying.
Deportation of undocumented nationals is the right of the people, and we must stand firm against illegal immigration to the country, the official stated.
The entry of immigrants without observing requirements for legal entry is against the national interests and security of the country, and all institutions are responsible in this regard.
By the end of the current Iranian year (March 20, 2025), two million undocumented foreign nationals who are residing and working in the country will be located and sent back to their home countries, the Iranian Police Chief, Brigadier General, Ahmad Reza Radan, has said.
They have entered the country through illegal channels, Mehr news agency quoted the official as saying.
MT/MG
source: tehrantimes.com