Iran has called for greater international support in hosting millions of Afghan refugees, warning that it is becoming increasingly difficult to manage the long-term humanitarian burden without a fair sharing of responsibilities.
Speaking at the Global Refugee Forum (GRF) Progress Review Meeting in Geneva this week, Nader Yarahmadi, Director of the Center for Foreign Nationals and Refugees at Iran’s Ministry of Interior, emphasised that continuing to host refugees without international assistance is no longer sustainable.
Iran has been hosting Afghan refugees for more than 45 years, one of the world’s largest and longest-standing refugee situations.
Yarahmadi highlighted that, despite oppressive sanctions and limited domestic resources, Iran has provided services beyond the obligations outlined in the 1951 Refugee Convention.
Iranian officials also pointed to the negative consequences of military interventions in regional countries, including Afghanistan and Iraq, by extra-regional powers.
“This situation has been the result of irresponsible policies and military interventions by the United States and its allies in the region,” Yarahmadi said.
Addressing concerns about the return of undocumented Afghan nationals, Yarahmadi noted that around 1 million Afghans return home annually, and that recent departures were influenced by Israel-U.S. attacks last June, which affected civilian areas.
Last October, he denied reports alleging misconduct or undue pressure on undocumented Afghans.
Currently, Iran hosts approximately 5 million refugees, the majority of whom are Afghan nationals who fled Soviet invasion and civil war in Afghanistan over the past four decades.
Iranian authorities plan to gradually reduce the number to 3 million, aligning with the 3 percent global standard for hosting refugees, as the country’s population is projected to reach 90 million next year.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi wrapped up visits to Belarus and Russia during which he held high-level talks on closer bilateral relations and major regional developments.
Iran has summoned the ambassador of Republic of Cyprus Petros Nacouzis over remarks made by his country regarding Iran’s territorial integrity.
The Taliban leadership in Afghanistan skipped a major regional meeting in Tehran on Sunday, with analysts saying the absence is “not a deliberate political signal” but reflects timing and existing diplomatic ties.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi arrived in Moscow for talks with Russian officials following a one-day visit to Minsk on Monday 15 December ,where he met with Belarusian counterpart Maxim Ryzhenov.
Ukraine has welcomed the European Union’s decision to provide €90 billion in support over the next two years, calling it a vital lifeline even as the bloc failed to reach agreement on using frozen Russian assets to finance the aid.
European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas has warned that attempts to reach a peace agreement in Ukraine are being undermined by Russia’s continued refusal to engage meaningfully in negotiations.
Petroleum products are being transported by rail from Azerbaijan to Armenia for the first time in decades. The move is hailed as a tangible breakthrough in efforts to normalise relations between the long-time rivals.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has held a phone conversation with his Venezuelan counterpart Yvan Gil at the latter’s request.
U.S. President Donald Trump delivered a wide-ranging address from the White House in which he sought to highlight what he described as his administration’s achievements while laying the groundwork for his plans for the year ahead and beyond, on Wednesday (18 December).
U.S. intelligence sources indicate that Russian President Vladimir Putin still intends to take control of all of Ukraine and reclaim parts of Europe that once belonged to the Soviet Union. These assessments contradict Putin’s repeated claims that he poses no threat to Europe.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has issued a stark warning over the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
The United States says it is working to secure a renewed ceasefire between Thailand and Cambodia, expressing cautious optimism that an agreement could be reached early next week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Friday.
Ukraine has carried out its first aerial drone strike on a Russian “shadow fleet” oil tanker in the Mediterranean Sea, reflecting a growing intensity in Kyiv’s attacks on Russian oil shipping, officials said on Friday (19 December).
The foreign ministers of Cambodia and Thailand have told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that they are willing to pursue a ceasefire, as tensions flared along parts of the two countries’ shared border.
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