TEHRAN — Iranian authorities have arrested 250,000 undocumented migrants in Tehran province over the past year, according to the region’s governor, Mohammad Sadeq Motamedian.
Motamedian, speaking to Mehr News Agency, said the deadline for registering undocumented migrants in the country’s census is March 22.
“The policy of the Ministry of Interior remains focused on the deportation and regulation of unauthorized foreign nationals, and we continue our monitoring and control efforts in this regard,” he said.
He added that those who register before the deadline will be officially recognized as “foreign nationals.”
According to Motamedian, the arrests of undocumented migrants have been carried out across various parts of Tehran province, with operations led by Iran’s Law Enforcement Forces (FARAJA) under the supervision of the General Directorate for Foreign Nationals Affairs.
“With the efforts of FARAJA and the leadership of their commanders in Greater Tehran, as well as in the eastern and western parts of the province, these operations have been conducted under direct oversight,” he said.
The arrests come amid broader crackdowns on migrants in Iran and Pakistan, where authorities have intensified deportation efforts in recent months. Many of those affected have spoken out about mistreatment by security forces.
Several migrants told Amo that they have faced harassment, arbitrary detention, and poor treatment by Iranian police and officials. Human rights organizations have raised concerns about the conditions facing those detained and the challenges deported migrants encounter upon returning to their home countries.
