TEHRAN – Approximately 36,000 illegal Afghan refugees have benefited from the health services provided at the DeGallon border terminal in Teibad in the northeastern province of Holasan Razabi, and are returning to their home country, health ministry officials said.
They were visited by doctors and received nursing services. They were also educated on proper hygiene practices and how to avoid infectious diseases. The suspected cases were also tested, the IRNA quoted Soudabeh Nekouhi as saying.
Heat stroke, food poisoning and high blood pressure are one of the main reasons to visit health centres, she added.
Since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21), medical products worth 1 billion rials (nearly $1.150) have been distributed among de Garon’s undocumented refugees. Additionally, 22,492 Afghans who legally entered the country have been screened, and 10,753 have been vaccinated as part of the prevention programme, Nekohi said.
All Afghan nationals, 85% male, have been screened and tested for 16 different illnesses, she noted.
Authorized refugees will not be deported
Home Minister Escandar Momeni said the country does not plan to deport documented and approved refugees.
“We are just deporting two million Afghans who live illegally in Iran,” he said.
“Iran is not an anti-immigrant country as it hosts six million foreigners. Approximately 800,000 of the 2 million undocumented refugees have left the country since the beginning of the current Iranian year (March 21),” Isna said on July 18.
“These are honorable people who contributed to the country’s production. Under regulations, unfair refugees must leave the country. If they want to live here, they must follow legal procedures,” the official noted.
A total of 717,658 Afghans returned to Afghanistan from March 21 to June 27. Over 80% of them have voluntarily left 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.
“The majority of these citizens are employees or students. We usually see employment as the basis for residential use in long-term planning,” the IRNA quotes Yar-Ahmadi.
Officials went on to say that the presence of illegal immigrants in any country poses many challenges and that in critical circumstances they will become the main suspects. Their presence has a negative impact on the economy, society and the security sector.
Global experience shows that at best immigrants can make up 3% of the population of any country. Iran’s population is estimated to reach around 90 million next year, which means that 3 million migrants. Currently, the country has over 6.1 million citizens and should gradually decrease, Yar-Ahmadi added.
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