Iran’s education minister said the United Nations has covered less than one percent of the estimated $100 million the country spends annually to support Afghan refugees, calling for greater international assistance.
Speaking Tuesday in Tehran during a meeting with Filippo Grandi, the UN high commissioner for refugees, Minister of Education Alireza Kazemi said Iran provides extensive educational services to Afghan migrants, including free enrolment in public schools.
Kazemi said the presence of Afghan students has strained the country’s education system, leading to overcrowded classrooms and what he described as a decline in academic performance among Iranian students. He added that Iran is facing a shortage of educational infrastructure and that the public expects government resources to be focused on domestic needs.
Despite these challenges, Kazemi said Iran is ready to provide formal education to all Afghan students through its national remote learning platform. He proposed delivering instruction under a trilateral cooperation agreement and issuing valid academic certificates under Iran’s virtual school framework.
Grandi, who is visiting Iran amid a spike in deportations of Afghan migrants, acknowledged during the meeting that additional funding is needed. He said current constraints have limited the UN’s ability to increase financial support.
He also addressed the Taliban’s continued ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan and said international aid is critical to addressing the broader crisis.
Grandi later met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. According to Iranian state media, the two discussed facilitating the voluntary return of Afghan refugees.
The UN refugee agency has proposed a trilateral meeting with representatives from Iran and the Taliban, warning that Afghanistan does not have the economic or social capacity to absorb the high number of migrants being deported from neighbouring countries.
