Afghan Refugees Face an Increasingly Hostile Environment in Iran

08-15-01 Iran may now host more refugees than any country in the world. In July 2001, the Iranian government announced that it had registered more than 2.5 million foreigners living in the country, of whom 2,350,000 are Afghans. Most of the Afghans in the country are refugees, having fled the civil war in Afghanistan.

According to press reports anti-Afghan and anti-refugee feeling is growing in Iran. Iranian youths recently went on a rampage in a suburb of Tehran, injuring a number of people and leaving signs painted on walls saying "Death to the Afghans." Anti-Afghan riots have also been reported in several other cities. Thousands of Afghans have been fired from their jobs because the government is imposing fines on companies that employ them.

The antagonism to Afghan refugees coincides with rising unemployment and reduced economic opportunities in Iran. A severe regional drought has impoverished many Iranian farmers—and is also stimulating renewed flight from Afghanistan totaling several hundred persons a day. These new arrivals, if they are caught, are being turned away. Public opinion in Iran appears to be in favor of severely restricting the economic activities of those who remain. But allegations that refugees are taking jobs away from Iranians may be more perceived than real. Observers note that most Afghans are on the bottom of the economic ladder, working at jobs Iranians do not want.

Many of the Afghans have resided in Iran for a decade or more, and only about 5% of them live in camps. Most live in cities and towns near their homeland. The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), other international aid agencies, and the Iranian government provide assistance to the refugees. But, according to a UNHCR report, "the Iranian government feels it bears a heavy social and economic burden, and believes the international community should share more of this burden."

The Iranian government has a valid point that it has assumed much of the burden of caring for Afghan refugees. However, one reason is that the Iranians have made it difficult for foreign-aid agencies to operate in Iran and have not been welcoming to international non-governmental organizations (NGOs). The Iranians would help their case for greater international support by opening up to the presence of foreign-aid organizations and facilitating their participation in programs to help the Afghans.

The Government of Iran and international aid agencies and donor countries should collaborate in assessing ways to counter growing hostility to Iran's large Afghan refugee population.