Iranian Police Seal 6 Homes Rented to ‘Illegal’ Afghan Migrants

Amir Amir-Ahmadi, the police commander of Taybad, Iran, announced that six houses rented to "illegal" Afghans have been sealed.

According to him, this action was taken following public demand and under the orders of judicial authorities.

The IRIB news agency reported on Wednesday that the owners of these houses and those involved in renting residential units to "illegal" Afghans have been referred to judicial authorities after cases were filed against them.

Amir-Ahmadi explained, "According to the law, any transfer and contract arrangement, including renting, selling, and dealing with unauthorised foreign nationals, is prohibited and illegal in Taybad County."

On the other hand, Afghan migrants are reporting attacks on them in recent days.

Following the news of an Iranian citizen's death after a conflict with three Afghan migrants, some migrants in Tehran have reported widespread mistreatment by locals in the eastern part of the capital.

An Afghan migrant from eastern Tehran said that his family does not dare to leave their home for work or shopping.

Recently, videos have been sent to Afghanistan International showing what the senders claim are attacks on Afghan migrants in eastern Tehran.

Disturbing images have reached us, showing migrants severely injured in these attacks, according to the senders.

According to the General Directorate of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants of Razavi Khorasan province, after Tehran, which has the highest number of foreign migrants, Mashhad has nearly 400,000 identified foreign citizens with identification documents and nearly 300,000 unidentified foreign citizens. No international organisation has confirmed these figures yet.

Previously, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants Affairs in Kermanshah province announced the prohibition of residence, and employment of Afghan migrants in 16 provinces.

The provinces where Afghans are prohibited from residing and working include East Azerbaijan, West Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Zanjan, Kurdistan, Kermanshah, Ilam, Lorestan, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, Gilan, Mazandaran, Sistan and Baluchistan, Hormozgan, and Hamedan.

In October this year, more than 540 Iranian artists, lawyers, doctors, journalists, and civil and social activists called for an end to the harassment of Afghan migrants in Iran.

They stated that Iran's legal system has, in recent years, created significant obstacles and challenges to integrating migrants into the host society.