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Iran, Afghanistan sign two cooperation documents on refugees

Kabul, Aug 19, IRNA – Iran and Afghanistan signed two cooperation documents on Afghan refugees. One document is about those who have residence card and the other about illegal immigrants residing in Iran.

The documents were signed by Director General of Foreign Citizens and Immigrants Department of Iran's Interior Ministry Ahmad Mohammadifar and Deputy Minister of Immigration Affairs of Afghanistan Abdul-Hajj Fazl Ahmad Azimi.

According to cooperation document on legal immigrants, who was also inked by representatives of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Afghanistan and Iran, Tehran and Kabul agreed that the immigrants should be provided with appropriate opportunities for work and education in Iran until their return to their home country.

On situation of illegal immigrants in Iran and to remove security concerns about refugees without authorization for host country, the two sides agreed to present two separate plans to reach a common tactics to legalize their presence in Iran.

Afghanistan Minister of Immigration Affairs Seyed Mohammad Hassan Balkhi, who was present in the signing ceremony, said that negotiations between the two delegations were held with good will and both sides reached good agreements.

He added that the two sides agreed that until grounds are prepared for voluntary return of Afghan immigrants, any measure to forcefully return refugees to their country should be avoided.

Balkhi said another issue discussed by the two sides was the Afghan national held in Iranian prisons. Mohammadifar said refugees in Iran enjoy a high degree of security, compared to other countries, and Tehran never deport any refugees.

He added that the Afghan government should try to make its citizens' residence in Iran lawful.

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