WANA (Jul 22) – Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), held a meeting with Seyed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister, to discuss regional humanitarian concerns, particularly the situation of Afghan refugees in Iran.

 

During a press conference on Monday, Esmaeil Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, addressed the ongoing efforts to manage Afghan nationals residing in Iran. He reiterated Iran’s longstanding demand that the international community — especially humanitarian organizations such as UNHCR — provide greater support to the country in its decades-long effort to host Afghan refugees.

 

Esmaeil Baghaei, the spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, stated:

 

“Our demand from the international community, especially aid organizations — particularly the UNHCR — has always been to assist the Islamic Republic of Iran in hosting refugees. Unfortunately, this has not been realized over the past decades. In fact, due to the unjust sanctions imposed on us, we have been deprived of the aid that is normally provided to refugee-hosting countries.”

 

“We are pleased that the High Commissioner for Refugees is now following this matter closely and acknowledges the scale and significance of the challenge we have faced for decades. We expect that his presence on both sides of the border will lead to a more realistic understanding within the UNHCR and help increase global support for the issue of Afghan refugees.”

Afghan Migrants. Social media/ WANA News Agency