06.2007 - Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Annual report on conditions affecting refugees and asylum seekers in 2006 ("World Refugee Survey 2007") [ID 21609]

Document(s): Iran - Namibia
Full Report

28.02.2005 - Source: US Department of State

Asylum & refugee status ("Country Report on Human Rights Practices 2004") [#29525], [ID 9185]

"[...]The law provides for granting asylum or refugee status in accordance with the 1951 U.N. Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees or its 1967 Protocol. The Government has established a system for providing protection to refugees. There were no reports of the forced return of persons to a country where they feared persecution; however, there were reports that the Government deported refugees deemed "illegal" entrants into the country. In times of economic uncertainty, the Government increased pressure on refugees to return to their home countries. The Government generally cooperated with the office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and other humanitarian organizations in assisting refugees and refugee seekers. [...]"

Document(s): Open document

24.05.2004 - Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Annual report on conditions affecting refugees and asylum seekers in 2003 ("World Refugee Survey 2004") [#22825], [ID 9186]

Document(s): Open document

19.05.2004 - Source: Integrated Regional Information Network

Situation of Iranian refugees from Iraq that moved to the city of Van in Turkey ("Special report on Iranian refugees from Iraq") [#22376], [ID 9187]

Document(s): Open document

17.03.2004 - Source: International Federation for Human Rights

Report focused on racial discrimination of non-citizens (migrant workers, asylum seekers, refugees) ("Thematic Debate: Non-Citizens and Racial Discrimination") [#20488], [ID 9188]

Document(s): Open document

15.03.2004 - Source: Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre (formerly Global IDP Project)

Report on internal displacement (background, causes, patterns), physical security, freedom of movement, subsistence needs (health, nutrition and shelter), patterns of return/resettlement and humanitarian access ("Profile of internal displacement: Sudan") [#20438], [ID 9189]

Document(s): Open document

08.07.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

At least 405 Iranians fled Al Tash refugee camp because of the deteriorating situation in the facility caught between the Coalition and well-armed Iraqi gunmen reportedly loyal to the old government ("Iranian refugees flee Al Tash camp") [#14219], [ID 9191]

Document(s): Open document

29.05.2003 - Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

Annual report on conditions affecting refugees and asylum seekers in 2002 ("World Refugee Survey 2003") [#12982], [ID 9190]

Document(s): Open document
Iran-Jordan, and Occupied Palestinian Territory Kuwait-Yemen

13.05.2003 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Up to 1,000 Iranian refugees displaced in southern Iraq amid reports of widespread intimidation and eviction/ many of them are camped near the Iranian border ("More Iranian refugees flee intimidation in Iraq") [#12700], [ID 9192]

Document(s): Open document

01.2003 - Source: Alliance Internationale pour la Justice

Report on Iraqi Kurdistan: Ethnic cleansing in Iraqi Kurdistan, displaced persons and Iraqi refugees in Iran ("Iraq: continuous and silent ethnic cleansing - Displaced persons in Iraqi Kurdistan and Iraqi refugees in Iran") [#10627], [ID 9193]

Document(s): Open document
Open document

10.2002 - Source: UK Home Office

UK Home Office: Iran is signatory of the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol ("Country Assessment - October 2002") [#9556], [ID 9194]

"5.98. The Government of Iran generally co-operates with the UNHCR and other humanitarian organisations in assisting refugees. Iranian law contains provisions for granting refugee status in accordance with the 1951 UN Convention relating to the Status of Refugees and the 1967 Protocol.

5.99. The country hosts a large refugee population, mostly Afghans who fled during the Soviet occupation. The UNHCR estimates that there are approximately 1.4 million Afghan refugees in the country, though the Government puts estimates as high as 2.3 million.

5.100. The UNHCR estimate that there were about 386,000 Iraqi Kurdish and Arab refugees in Iran at the end of the year 2000. Many of these Iraqi refugees originally were expelled by Iraq at the beginning of the Iran-Iraq war because of their suspected Iranian origin. In numerous instances, both the Iraqi and Iranian Governments dispute their citizenship. Other Iraqi refugees arrived following Iraq's invasion of Kuwait in 1990. During 2001, the governments of Iraq and Iran signed an agreement to facilitate the voluntary repatriation of refugees in both countries. At year's end, it was unclear how the agreement would affect Iraqi refugees in Iran. Some 1,727 Iraqi Arabs repatriated from Iran in 2001, a modest increase from the 1,360 who repatriated in 2000. UNHCR did not promote these repatriations, however, telling would-be returnees that the agency could not monitor or guarantee their safety upon return. An estimated 18,000 Iraqi Kurds returned spontaneously to northern Iraq in 1999 without UNHCR assistance and without passing through government controls. In 2000 and 2001, spontaneous repatriations of Iraqi Kurds to northern Iraq slowed considerably; only 2,277 were known to have returned in 2000, while in 2001 the number dropped once again, to 1,389.

5.101. In early 2002 the Iranian authorities and UNHCR were co-operating in establishing registration centres for refugees wishing to return to Afghanistan; exit points were to be constructed at three points along the Iran-Afghanistan border in preparation for the commencement of voluntary repatriations. The programme of voluntary returns under UNHCR auspices commenced in in April 2002 and it is expected that 400,000 will have returned by the end of 2002.

5.102. Although the Government claims to host more than 30,000 refugees of other nationalities, including Tajiks, Bosnians, Azeris, Eritreans, Somalis, Bangladeshis and Pakistanis, it has provided no information about them nor allowed the UNHCR or other organisations access to them."

Document(s): Open document

09.2002 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Report focused on refugees (covering the period between 1 January and 30 June) ("Mid - Year Progress Report 2002") [#47509], [ID 9196]

Document(s): Open document

07.2002 - Source: UN High Commissioner for Refugees

Global report 2001: South - West Asia ("Global report 2001: South - West Asia") [#7700], [ID 9197]

Document(s): Open document

2002 - Source: US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants

US Committee for Refugees (USCR): ("Country report: Iran") [#8034], [ID 9198]

Document(s): Open document

01.10.2000 - Source: Danish Immigration Service

Danish Immigration Service: Iranian travel documents for refugees in Iran ("Report on fact-finding mission to Iran; 9 - 17 September 2000") [#9593], [ID 9195]

"According to Hojatol-Islam Ebrahimi, Director-General of the Bureau for Aliens' and Foreign
Immigrants' Affairs (BAFIA) in the Iranian Ministry of the Interior, the Iranian authorities have
been issuing aliens' passports to refugees in Iran since 1999. Such a passport entitles the holder
both to leave and re-enter Iran. The alien's passport replaces the former laissez-passer, which
entitled the holder only to leave Iran, not re-enter it.
The alien's passport is issued to persons with refugee status in Iran, i.e. persons holding a refugee's
identity card. Persons not in possession of such a card can still obtain an alien's passport subject to
their application being processed and approved by a special commission.
Hojatol-Islam Ebrahimi emphasised that an alien's passport will not be issued until the Iranian
authorities are certain that the person concerned will receive a visa for the country he intends to
visit. The alien's passport is valid for one year, and can be extended for a further year."

Document(s): Open document