Be more humane to Afghan refugees, Kabul urges Tehran

KABUL (Pajhwok): Kabul on Monday urged Tehran to treat Afghan refugees more humanly and provide them with facilities.

Deputy Foreign Minister Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai met with Iranian ambassador to Afghanistan Bahadur Aminian here, a statement from the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.

More than five million Afghan refugees are currently living in Iran, but reports of their mistreatment and forced repatriation surface occasionally.

The Afghan Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations said earlier this month that Iran forcibly repatriated nearly 500 Afghan refugees to Afghanistan through the port of Islam Qala.

The statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Stanekzai met with Aminian in Kabul today.

The meeting focused on issues concerning Afghan refugees, drugs, addicts and bilateral cooperation.

Stanekzai called on Iran to be more lenient and humane towards Afghan refugees and provide them with facilities so that Afghan refugees living in the country do not face any problems.

Stanekzai hoped that the Iranian side would expedite the process of issuing visas to Afghans and provide legal facilities for Afghans entering the country.

According to reports, hundreds of Afghans travel to Iran every day, but many are repatriated.

Stanekzai welcomed the positive relations and developments with Iran and assured further cooperation.

The Iranian ambassador praised the decree banning narcotics in Afghanistan and said that his country was ready to provide necessary assistance to Afghan farmers.

The caretaker government of Afghanistan this year banned poppy cultivation and the use, transportation, purchase and sale of all kinds of narcotics across the country.

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