Afghan migrants in Iran have reported a significant increase in harassment by the police and Iranian citizens following the death of an Iranian resident in eastern Tehran almost a week back.
The migrants claimed that since the incident, locals have subjected them to mistreatment, compounding the difficulties they already face.
Footage circulating on social media over the past week show residents of Tehran’s District 15 chanting “death to Afghan migrants” during a demonstration, criticizing the Iranian government’s handling of the migrant situation.
The demonstration on Friday, July 26, in District 15 was reportedly in response to the killing of an Iranian citizen, allegedly by Afghan migrants.
Some Afghan migrants in Iran allege that the Iranian government has demanded payments ranging from 100 million to 200 million Iranian rials ($2,350 to $4,750) per family annually for them to continue residing in the country and access services, warning that failure to pay would result in expulsion.
The harsh treatment of Afghan migrants has drawn criticism from former Afghan leaders. The Green Trend movement, led by Amrullah Saleh, addressed an open letter to the Iranian people, stating that these migrants did not come to Iran for leisure or tourism.
In a speech, Tehran’s Friday prayer leader urged Iranian citizens to treat Afghan migrants who have sought refuge in their country with kindness.
While exact figures on the number of Afghan migrants in Iran are unavailable, Iranian officials have frequently published conflicting statistics. Recently, Seyed Rasoul Mousavi, an assistant to Iran’s foreign minister, posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, that much of the information regarding the number of Afghan migrants in Iran is incorrect and exaggerated.
Reports of widespread mistreatment of Afghan migrants come amid claims that an Iranian citizen was killed last week by three Afghan migrants following an altercation.
The International Union for Human Rights Defenders has condemned the mistreatment by Iranian citizens and police, calling on the global community to address the issue.
