Tehran – With support from the South Korean government, the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) aims to nurture environmentally sustainable communities by promoting waste recycling and composting practices, thereby enhancing resilience and environmental management in refugee settlement.
Since 2020, UNIDO has been dedicated to increasing the resilience and well-being of Iranian refugees through innovative projects in line with the host government’s strategy and Sustainable Development Goals.
Based on this momentum, under the project “Expanding Sustainable Reserve for Refugees in Islamic Republic of Iran,” the ongoing initiative “Sustainable Waste Management in the Semnan Reconciliation” aims to ensure that refugees become active agents of change.
A notable milestone took place on May 7, 2025, with comprehensive waste management training focused on the homescale Barmikol Post at the Semnan Refugee Reconciliation.
The training saw enthusiastic participation of 133 refugees, including 133 women and six men, spanning a range of age groups, ranging from 34 participants ages 13 to 25 (approximately 16%), 44 participants ages 26 to 35 (approximately 20%), and 55 participants ages 36 to 58 (approximately 25%).
During the event, refugees learned how to turn organic waste into valuable fertilizers through insect composting, promoting sustainable waste disposal and increasing agricultural productivity at home.
Many have expressed their zeal to implement these practices, making significant contributions to reducing waste, improving food security and fostering environmental management within the community.
Among the moving stories is the story of Mojdeh, a 13-year-old girl and the youngest refugee participant in training. She wanted to learn how to turn organic waste into valuable fertilizers. and showed a remarkable enthusiasm for environmental practices.
Mojdeh said, “We want to help our community by recycling waste and cleaning up the environment. I think even young people can make a difference. This project helps us build new skills, connect with others, and grow both personally and socially.”
Her interest and dedication exemplifies how young community members own sustainability efforts and encourage others to follow suit. Her enthusiasm highlights the potential to empower young people as a key factor in positive change in their community.
Training received strong positive feedback, with about 52% of participants rated the content as “very good” and about 54% expressed confidence in the instructor’s expertise. Most people felt that the sessions met their expectations and appreciated the clarity of the delivery.
Overall, feedback highlighted good organizations, engagement trainers, and successful sessions. This feedback highlights the effectiveness of the program and the community’s enthusiasm for sustainable practices. It reflects a community that is passionate about adopting new skills. Refugees not only improve their living conditions, but also make it easier to become ambassadors of sustainability.
Thanks to initiatives like waste management training, community members are seeing concrete improvements in environmental practices and living conditions. UNIDO plans to expand these programs to support host countries to other settlements from 2025 onwards.
Based on these efforts, the project is currently implementing renewable energy solutions to the Semnan and Torbat E-Jam settlements. Specifically, UNIDO has installed two solar power plants, each with a capacity of 200 kWp, providing clean and reliable electricity to the community.
These installations aim to reduce reliance on traditional energy sources, reduce carbon emissions, and enhance the overall living conditions of both refugees and host communities. By integrating renewable technologies, the project will promote sustainable development, support energy independence, and contribute to the local climate resilience.
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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