News - Middle East: Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to repatriating Afghan refugees residing in the country without proper legal documentation, calling on the international community to fulfill its responsibilities and provide the required assistance in this matter.

Araghchi made the remarks during a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Tehran on Tuesday, as they discussed the latest status of interactions between the two sides, including concerning Afghan refugees.

Highlighting the country's decades-long role in hosting Afghan refugees, Araghchi underscored the Iranian government's commitment to facilitating their voluntary return and providing a dignified repatriation process for those residing without valid documents.

The top Iranian diplomat also put a premium on cooperation between Afghanistan and the United Nations to expedite the process of repatriating illegal nationals and to create employment and living opportunities for Afghan citizens in their own country. 

Grandi, for his part, expressed gratitude for Iran's long history of excellent cooperation with the UNHCR and its service to Afghan refugees. 

He also presented a report on his recent visit to Kabul and discussions with officials of the acting Afghan government regarding the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran and the process of their voluntary return to Afghanistan. 

Grandi expressed hope that, given the cooperation and coordination between the two neighboring countries, the voluntary return of Afghan nationals would proceed in a manner that upholds their rights and dignity.

Iran began deporting Afghan refugees in late June following the 12-day Israeli war of aggression against the country. 

On Sunday, Malek Hosseini, who leads employment affairs at Iran’s Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare, said that less than 700,000 Afghan refugees have left Iran as part of a program to deport the refugees.

The official said that less than 10% of the Afghan refugees, or nearly 434,000 people, have the legal documents to live and work in Iran.

The comments come against the backdrop of reports suggesting that Iran has been deporting Afghan refugees on a mass scale after some Afghan nationals were arrested on charges of facilitating the Israeli aggression on Iran.

Iranian security officials say the Afghans arrested in recent weeks are suspected of involvement in sabotage and espionage operations carried out by the Israeli regime in Iran.

However, economic experts have warned that any plan for the mass deportation of Afghans from Iran could seriously harm the country’s labor market.

Source: Press TV