Mistreatment with immigrants under any reason is not acceptable. For many years, millions of our compatriots left the country due to wars, insecurity and dozens of other reasons such as unemployment, poverty and lack of work. These migrants are mostly refugees in Iran and Pakistan. It is a bitter fact that living in migration and being away from home country and homeland of ancestors is very difficult even in the best conditions of migration.
Recently, three Iranian clerics were stabbed to death in Mashhad, Iran, by an Afghan. After that, the Iranian authorities and the people began to persecute the Afghans whose videos were posted on social media that showed the cruelty of the Iranian authorities and hurt the every human being. Following this mistreatment, people in Kabul and other provinces staged mass demonstrations even they set the gate of Iran consulate on fire in northern Herat province.
Subsequently, Iranian embassy stopped its consulates’ operations in Afghanistan, although the Iranian Foreign Ministry stated that the consulates were active.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Amir Khan Muttaqi, in a meeting with the Iranian ambassador in Kabul, asked him to stop torturing Afghans in Iran and that relations between the two Muslim countries, both religious and racial, should not be spoiled.
In return, the Iranian ambassador in Kabul expressed hope that such a thing would not happen, and said it was the enemies’ propaganda to spoils our relations. At the same time, Iranian officials have said that these videos are fake and that is the work of our common enemy, and that the Iranian government has hosted five to seven million immigrants for four decades, all of whom live in Iran and have been facilitated working conditions.
It should be noted that immigrants have been complaining torture by Iranians for years but there problems have not been addressed by relevant authorities.
There are international conventions on refugee rights and no country has the right to mistreat migrants.
Here, I need to mention that if a country provides proper working opportunities for its public, no one would leave the country and migrate abroad.
In Afghanistan, more than four decades of war, the existence of failed governments, successive droughts and the lack of a responsible system have forced the people to leave their country and seek refuge in neighboring countries. The people asks the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to provide better job opportunities as the war has ended in the country.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, that 5870 refugees have been deported forcibly by Iranian government last week.
During this period, more than 1,800 people, including their families, have returned to Afghanistan voluntarily. The Ministry further adds that 22340 refugees returned to country last month.
Mohammad Dawood
Afghan refugees forcibly deported from Iran
