Tehran – Home Minister Escandar Momeni said by the end of the current Iranian calendar year (March 20, 2026), about 800,000 undocumented Afghan refugees will be sent back to their home country.
According to the latest report, more than 1.2 million illegal Afghan refugees have been deported since the beginning of the current year of Iran.
More than 70% of refugees are sent back voluntarily, officials added.
Most of the unauthorized refugees have left the country through the borders of Holasan Razabi Province, Momeni said.
Officials stressed that Iran is not an anti-immigrant country as it hosts six million foreigners.
In July, Momeni said, “We are just deporting two million Afghans who are illegally resident in Iran. These are honorable people who have contributed to the country’s production. Under regulations, unjust refugees must leave the country.
According to the head of the National Immigration Agency at Nader Yar-Ahmadi, there was no residency and the type of services offered to documented Afghans living in the country.
On the contrary, as illegal citizens leave the country, they will benefit from more services, the IRNA reported.
Officials went on to say that the presence of illegal immigrants poses many challenges in any country, and that in critical circumstances they will become the main suspect. Their presence has a negative impact on the economy, society and the security sector.
Services provided to refugees at borders
The Ministry of Health describes a wide range of services provided to refugees, particularly in the eastern South Holasan, northeastern Holasan Razabi and southeastern Sistan Balchestan province.
The services include establishing health camps, screening for infectious diseases and providing safe water and sanitation, the Ministry of Health website reports.
The Ministry of Health has established permanent and temporary camps to perform screenings and provides medical services such as injections, serotherapy and the treatment of acute patients.
Extensive screening for infectious disease and epidemic risk management, including syndrome screening for 14 infectious diseases, ongoing water and food sampling, and drinking water disinfection, is among other measures adopted by the Ministry.
Environmental hygiene, such as improving infrastructure, access to safe drinking water and sanitation facilities, and proper management of infectious waste in camps, is another part of the Ministry of Health’s efforts to ensure the prevention of contagious diseases, and monitor the environment to prevent infection of diseases such as malaria, krowl (EL TOR), and other similar diseases.
The Ministry of Health is doing its best to manage referrals, with an average of over 5,000 people receiving medical services during busy times. It also strengthened the camp’s capabilities in terms of HR, equipment, temporary beds, coordination and logistics support for the immediate provision of medicine, disinfectants, personal protective equipment and other important items.
mt/mg