Iranian Daily Says Afghans “Occupying” South of Tehran & Causing “Security Issues”

Iranian reformist newspaper, “Jomhouri Eslami”, on its front page wrote that the south of Tehran is under the "occupation of Afghans" and that this is a "full-fledged security" issue.

The Daily reported that "in addition to the security problem, the presence of Afghans has also caused a food security challenge in the area”.

Jomhouri Eslami newspaper is affiliated with the reformist political movement of Iran. The Daily published its report on Monday, July 10.

Some Iranian media have called the daily report’s title "strange".

Jomhouri Eslami quoted an Iranian journalist’s interview with Ensaf News and wrote that after the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the presence of Afghans in Iran has increased dramatically.

The newspaper, quoting a source, discussed the life of Afghans in Iran, especially in the south of Tehran, and claimed that around eight million Afghans currently reside in Iran.

The newspaper claimed that Afghans live in a collective lifestyle and said that around 13-15 Afghans live in rented homes.

The report also discussed the possibility of a "rebellion by Afghans living in Iran" and it has been stated that "if the Afghans who are living in Iran decide to revolt, we [Iranians] are done".

Justifying this claim, Jomhouri Eslami has raised the issue of the recent tensions between the Taliban and the Iranian government regarding the water rights issue from the Helmand River.

The daily’s source claimed that when something happens in Iran, maybe a percentage of Iranians abroad chant slogans against Iran or the regime, but recently on the water rights issue that has been disputed between the Taliban and Iran, "the same nationals who were in Kahrizak [south of Tehran] chanted slogans in favour of the Taliban".

The report also stated that "Afghans can get a driving license or have a bank account and this will affect Iran’s economy”.

The journalist claimed that Afghans "come with empty pockets and return with full pockets".

However, it has been said that Afghans "deposit 50 to 60 billion Iranian Toman annually into the pockets of Tehran's governorate. According to the law, every Afghan citizen must pay three to four million Iranian Toman to the government every two to three months to renew their visa”.

The source of the newspaper called the exact number of Afghans in Iran a "mystery" and explained that there are no specific statistics because they enter Iran illegally.

According to the daily’s source, "If an Afghan kills someone and goes to Afghanistan, we cannot do anything."

In this report, it had been emphasised to the authorities of the Iranian government that "employing foreign nationals is a crime. The government inspectors must inspect all workshops and livestock farms south of Tehran where they [Afghans] have been employed”.

The reporter of Jomhouri Eslami believes that the issue of Afghans in Iran is currently a security dilemma for the Iranian government.