TEHRAN — Iran plans to introduce a unified identification and banking card for migrants, integrating their personal and financial details into a single electronic platform, according to Abolfazl Abutorabi, a member of Iran’s Parliament Commission on Councils and Internal Affairs.
The dual-purpose card will feature banking functions on one side and the migrant’s identification details, including a 10-digit residency code, on the other, Abutorabi said in remarks reported by Tasnim News Agency.
Addressing the need to streamline migrant documentation, Abutorabi highlighted that previous waves of migration, predominantly from Afghanistan, have led to an unmanageable array of identification methods. “Since the first migration wave in 1972, there have been five waves of migration to the country,” he said, adding that 17 types of ID cards or documents have been issued over the years, making tracking nearly impossible.
The new system aims to consolidate these into a single card, issued by a central organization. “This card will enable authorities to monitor all activities of migrants, including their purchases and places of residence,” he said.
Abutorabi also emphasized the importance of enforcing stricter regulations on interactions with undocumented migrants. “Landlords renting homes to unauthorized migrants and employers hiring them should face penalties,” he said.
The announcement comes amid increasing pressure on migrants in Iran, many of whom are Afghan nationals. According to recent statistics, over 320 migrant families returned from Iran to Afghanistan last week. A United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) official recently stated in a video message that many of those returning from Iran are being forcibly deported.
