UNHCR Chief Calls for Protection of Afghan Refugees in Iran and Pakistan

Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), reaffirmed that the UN will continue to uphold the rights of Afghan refugees residing in Iran and Pakistan.

Speaking at the opening of the 75th Session of the UNHCR Executive Committee, Grandi urged all countries hosting Afghan refugees to refrain from forcibly returning them.

“We continue in fact to appeal to all states hosting Afghans not to push anyone back against their will. We will continue to work with Pakistan and Iran, both generous hosts of Afghans refugees for decades, to preserve the available protection space and find ways to mobilize additional support both for refugees and their hosts,” he said.

Some migration rights advocates suggest that the UN can play an effective role in supporting undocumented migrants by creating a framework to address their challenges.

Jummah Khan Pouya, a migrant rights advocate, said: “Those refugees who are willing to return to Afghanistan should be repatriated respectfully through the facilities provided by the International Organization for Migration (IOM).”

Salim Paigir, a political analyst, told TOLOnews: “The UN can solve many of the problems Afghan refugees, especially in Iran and Pakistan, are facing. Lately, we have seen significant oppression against Afghans by officials in both countries.”

This follows a statement from the Director-General of the Bureau of Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs in Iran’s Khorasan Razavi province, who reported that over 270,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran over the past six months.