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Afghan refugees in Iran are worried about a census which is going to be conducted in the country as their immigration status is uncertain and they may not be allowed extensions, local media reported.
"Asylum seekers in Iran are afraid of the census because their information is being recorded and they are afraid that they will be fired, and that their employer will not help them fill out the forms," said Parviz Amiri, an Afghan refugee in Iran, TOLOnews reported. "Our situation is bad, there is no money, there is no work, we do not have the money to go to my province of Nangarhar. I do not even have the taxi fare," said Bismillah, another refugee. However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman of the Islamic Emirate said it has sent a delegation to Iran to assess the situation of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers in the country. Asifa Stanekzai, an Afghan refugee rights activist in Iran said, "The plan to identify and count undocumented Afghan immigrants in Iran has been welcomed by many immigrants in Iran, but there are some who are afraid because they are worried they will not be allowed extensions," TOLOnews reported. Meanwhile, on the other side, there are reports that hundreds of Afghan refugees are being forcibly deported by the Turkish government. "Ten months ago we went to Turkey. We were in prison for two months. Nobody was asking about our situation. We asked 'what is our sin?', and they said 'you don't have a government,'" said Mohammad Ismail Safi, an asylum seeker. Every few years, Iran conducts a census to quantify the number of its population. The Afghan refugees were repeatedly targeted by the Iranian government as it has deported thousands of Afghan civilians trying to escape from the oppressive Taliban rule previously as well. As per local media reports, over 780,000 Afghan refugees are living in Iran presently. Cruelty and starvation have resulted in the rising number of Afghan refugees in Iran. (ANI)
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