17.06.2003 - Source: Amnesty International

2 Iranian refugees were reportedly forcibly returned to Iran by the Syrian authorities/ their current whereabouts are unconfirmed and it is feared that they may be tortured or ill-treated in Tehran's Evin prison ("Iran/ Syria/ United Kingdom - UA 171/03") [#13660], [ID 9579]

Document(s): Open document
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 9580]

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

28.01.2003 - Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (Germany)

Beobachtung von Personen, die sich in herausgehobener Funktion exilpolitisch betätigen, durch iranische Stellen, Rückkehrgefährdung ("Stellungnahme v. 28.01.2003 an VG Schleswig - 9 A 271/02 - (German document)") [#10956], [ID 9581]

Document(s): Open document

11.2001 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

ACCORD: Rejected asylum seekers ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661], [ID 9582]

"There are two dimensions to this issue. On the basis of the information Amnesty
International receives, usually a person who gets back will be asked why s/he was
abroad. If the answer is along the lines of ”I just tried to find a job”, they will most likely
be allowed to go home to their families. Generally speaking, it does depend on what kind
of documentation exists on the returnee and what the actual practice of the country is in which the concerned individual applied for asylum. In some cases rejected asylum
seekers are issued one-time laissez-passers or similar travel documents.
DD. If you have so many cases invoving one of the three categories it raises the
question of credibility. Armenians are a small group who are not in the first instance
subject to human rights violations."

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf

11.2001 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

00.11.2001 – ACCORD: Return of (former) opposition members ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661], [ID 9583]

"Political assassinations of opponents abroad have been a regular feature since the time of the Revolution, starting from the murder on Tabatabaei, spokesman of the Shah in the USA, to the reported killings of members of the KDPI in Northern Iraq or of Abdurrahman Ghasemlou, Sadeq Sharefkandi, Shahpour Bakhtyar and many others.

There is a particular danger for Iranians known to have links with the MKO, KDPI, Fedayan, high profile members of the NMIR or of some of the more known nationalist/monarchist parties abroad.

On the other hand, there are cases where members of the Fedayin majority faction who had fallen foul with the Iranian regime in 1979 and even 1985/86 have gone back to Iran and opened businesses. In individual cases, involving problems with the authorities in the past, and more recently if the problems are rather low-key, there might not be any risk of persecution upon return."

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf

11.2001 - Source: Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation

ACCORD: Return ("7th European Country of Origin Information Seminar Berlin, 11 - 12 June 2001: Final Report - Iran") [#7661], [ID 9584]

"Upon return, in recent years the practice has become more liberal with regard to
possession and confiscation of items purchased abroad, such as CDs from Dubai and
other Western products. It mostly depends on what the authorities are looking for. If they
assume that a person has returned from a country like the USA this person certainly will
be questioned and undergo stringent checks, but will normally not be detained for a
longer period of time.
There is one case of an Iranian who has been facilitated to return to Iran voluntarily by
UNHCR offices. Here the bureaucracy does sometimes not work very well. In principle,
an Iranian travel document must be issued by an Iranian embassy in a foreign country.
Upon arrival at the airport in Iran, the travel documents of this particular returnee were
not accepted by the airport authorities. The problem arose because the Ministry of the
Interior as well as the Ministry of Foreign Affairs are competent to issue travel
documents, but both ministries have different interests and internal regulations and
procedures. The resolution of the case took much coordination until the returnee was
allowed into the country. Ultimately, there is no information on what happens after
people have passed the checks, unless the authorities provide the information
themselves."

Document(s): cois2001-irn.pdf

06.1998 - Source: Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs: No information is available from other Western countries regarding problems following return ("Update to the Official Report of 5 June 1997 on the Situation in the Islamic Republic of Iran") [#10531], [ID 9585]

"A number of asylum seekers have returned voluntarily to Iran with the assistance of the
IOM (International Organization for Migration). In 1996 and 1997 Iranians with refugee
status also returned from the Netherlands to Iran for a short stay (83). From the United
States, as from other countries, many Iranians who fled the country during or after the
Islamic Revolution also regularly return to Iran for short stays. According to estimates by
observers, these amount to a minimum of a few thousand persons a year.
All EU countries are of the opinion that Iranian asylum seekers who have exhausted all remedies can be expelled to Iran. No information is available from other Western
countries regarding problems following return.
In the first eleven months of 1997, Germany expelled 102 Iranians who had exhausted all
remedies. France returned eighteen rejected Iranian asylum-seekers in 1997. For Canada,
Switzerland and Belgium these figures were seventy, eight and four persons respectively.
At the time of producing this report, it was not known how many rejected Iranian
asylum-seekers were expelled in 1997 by Denmark.
In 1996 Sweden deported 198 Iranians who had exhausted all remedies. During 1997,
the figure was 135 persons. Sweden does not engage in any monitoring activities;
where there are reports of problems, its embassy sets up an inquiry. In the past, a
number of such inquiries were set up but found that the supposed problems had not
arisen. The Swedish authorities do not have recourse to the Iranian authorities in the
event of expulsions. Asylum-seekers who have exhausted all remedies and who do not
possess a (valid) passport or identity document are also expelled by the Swedish
authorities without a laissez-passer.
Canada does not make use of a laissez-passer either, but provides a travel form in cases
of deportation."

Document(s): neth-irn0698.pdf