Iranian border forces kill 11 Afghan refugees

According to Khaama Press citing Iran International, the Iranian border forces on Friday handed over the dead bodies of eleven Afghan citizens to the Taliban officials at the Nimroz border crossing.

Four days ago, eleven Afghan citizens were shot dead by Iranian security forces in Sistan and Baluchistan province who were trying to enter Iran illegally.

The dead Afghan nationals were around the age of 20, including two, whose bodies are believed to be 18 years old.

Iranian officials and Taliban authorities have not yet commented regarding the killings, according to Khaama Press.

Taliban in Nimruz province said that over the past eleven months, more than 470 dead bodies of Afghan refugees have been transferred to the country through this province. Taliban authorities state that these individuals have died in incidents including traffic incidents.

In February, the Taliban authorities of the Refugee and Repatriation Department of Nimruz province also said Iran deported 7,612 Afghan refugees back to their homeland over the last week, the Khaama Press reported.

The director of the Refugees and Repatriation Department of Nimruz province, Sediqullah Nasrat, on Sunday said many of them, who were in dire straits financially, had received cash from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), a United Nations agency, to facilitate migration.

Last week a video went viral in which some Afghan refugees were saying that Iranian forces fired on their vehicle in Baluchistan, which resulted in the injury of one of them.

Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021, several Afghan nationals, fearing death threats and persecution by the Taliban have migrated to the neighbouring countries including Iran and Pakistan.

Since a large majority of these migrants have entered neighbouring countries through illegal channels, now face serious challenges. Although Iran and Pakistan have accommodated millions of Afghans for decades, now have taken serious measures to deal with undocumented Afghan nationals.

Iran, in particular forcefully deports Afghan refugees who fail to provide legal stay permits or visas on a weekly basis. Additionally, Iran and Pakistan are accused of violating fundamental rights by mistreating Afghan refugees on several occasions.

According to Khaama Press, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation had earlier reported the return of some 3,000 Afghan migrants, a majority of whom were forced to leave Iran, while others left of their own will. (ANI)