| |
Tehran, Dec 4, IRNA -- Since the latest developments in Afghanistan and efforts underway to form a broad-based government in that country, the trend of voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their country has increased, an Interior Ministry official said Tuesday.
|
|
| |
"During the recent months, over 100,000 Afghan refugees have voluntarily left Iran for their country," Mohammadreza Rostami told IRNA.
Denying claims made by some foreign media upon Iran's efforts to expel the Afghan refugees from the country, he noted the accusations aim to bring under question the Islamic Republic of Iran's 20 years of services rendered to various refugee groups of Afghanistan.
Elsewhere in his remarks, the official referred to the services the Iranian government has offered to Afghan refugees for 20 years, especially since the US military attacks on Afghanistan.
He said: "For the time being, over 11,800 Afghan refugees in camps made by Iran are enjoying different relief aids on the part of the country."
Asked about the voluntary return of Afghan refugees to their country, Rostami replied the representatives of interior and foreign affairs ministries and UNHCR based in Iran are holding talks in this connection.
In the near future, the representatives and some Afghan officials will sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on return of Afghan refugees, predicted the official.
He expressed hope after returning to their country, the refugees can play an effective role in reconstruction of Afghanistan.
According to statistics issued by the Interior Ministry, over 2.4 million Afghan refugees are currently in Iran, 500,000 of whom are to leave the country annually.
The spokesman of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' (UNHCR) headquarters in Iran denied on Monday any efforts on the part of the Islamic Republic of Iran to expel Afghan refugees from the country.
Mohammad Nouri had said no figure has yet published on number of Afghan refugees expelled from Iran.
Home
|
|