Organising Afghan Immigrants Is A Major Issue for Iran, Says Iranian Interior Minister

Ahmad Vahidi, Iran’s Minister of Interior, called addressing the issue of Afghan immigrants in Iran an undeniable necessity.

Vahidi stated that illegal migrants should definitely not remain in the country and those who are living legally, should consider the environment they live in.

According to IRNA news agency, he told reporters on Thursday that the organisation of immigrants means that the presence of these people should be structured in a defined framework and follow orders.

Since the Taliban’s takeover of power in Afghanistan, a large number Afghans took refuge in various countries, including Iran and Pakistan. Both countries have deported thousands of people back to Afghanistan in the past few months, and the deportation has intensified recently.

The government of Pakistan has set November 1 as the deadline for all the immigrants living illegally in the country to voluntarily leave.

In a press conference in Islamabad on Tuesday, Pakistan's Interior Minister, Sarfraz Bugti had said that the property of illegal immigrants in the country will be confiscated after the deadline.

According to the Pakistani government, 4.4 million Afghans are currently living in Pakistan.

Based on the recent statements of the Iranian Minister of Interior, nearly five million Afghans live in Iran.

Vahidi said, "The US pushed Afghanistan to this situation and imposed many atrocities on the people of Afghanistan, so the people of this country had no choice, but to migrate to other countries. The main issue from our side is the issue of organising immigrants."