Over 738,000 Illegal Foreign Nationals Deported From Iran, Says Iranian Official

Ahmad Ali Goudarzi, Iran's border guard commander, said that since the beginning of this year, more than 738,000 "illegal foreign nationals" have been deported from Iran.

Afghans are the largest immigrant population in Iran, and the country has intensified the expulsion of Afghan immigrants in recent weeks.

Goudarzi on Monday said that these migrants had entered Iran illegally.

According to Iranian officials, approximately five million Afghan nationals reside in Iran. Recently, the Deputy Minister of Justice of Iran said that the country is currently the destination of 63% of Afghan refugees.

After the Taliban’s takeover of power, millions of Afghan citizens were displaced and many of them sought refuge in neighbouring countries, including Pakistan and Iran.

However, neighbouring countries, especially Iran and Pakistan, have accelerated the process of deportation of Afghan immigrants in recent months.

Following the spread of reports about the increase in the presence of Afghans in Iran, opposition to immigrant presence has surged in both the media and society, with these sentiments escalating to violent reactions against refugees in recent days.