TEHRAN — Authorities in Iran have issued arrest warrants for 18 property owners accused of providing housing to undocumented Afghan migrants, according to Iranian media reports.
Bahram Zamani, the deputy prosecutor of Zahedan, announced that the property owners face charges for facilitating the stay of what he termed “unauthorized” foreign nationals. “Those who facilitate the entry and residence of undocumented individuals could face one to three years in prison,” Zamani said.
He added that the suspects were identified through military and security operations in the Nosratabad district of Zahedan. “These 18 landlords were apprehended, judicial cases were opened against them, and they were sent to prison. The suspects have admitted their involvement and expressed regret for their actions,” Zamani noted.
Iran’s interior ministry estimates that nearly six million foreign nationals, both documented and undocumented, reside in the country, with a majority being Afghan citizens.
Nader YarAhmadi, an adviser to Iran’s interior minister and head of the Bureau for Foreign Citizens and Migrants, disclosed that 593,775 individuals have been officially registered as group refugees, most of them Afghan nationals. Refugees are issued identification cards, known as Amayesh cards for Afghans and identity cards for Iraqis.
YarAhmadi urged refugees who have not yet updated their registration to visit foreign nationals’ residence and employment service offices by January 30, 2025, to ensure their information is up to date and to obtain identification cards.
The arrests underscore the Iranian government’s ongoing efforts to regulate the presence of foreign nationals, as the country grapples with economic challenges and the impact of a prolonged influx of Afghan migrants following the Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan.
