di Redazione
(FNA) – United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Representative in Iran Bernard Doyle lauded the country for its efforts and effective measures in supporting Afghan and Iraqi refugees residing in Iran.
Doyle noted that there are over 880,000 refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq residing in Iran, and said, “Iran has well fulfilled its humanitarian duties in this regard”.
The UNHCR envoy said that his organization aims to support the Iranian government in its efforts to protect the refugees living in the country.
He said the UNHCR has been in Iran for over a quarter of a century now.
Doyle reiterated that Iran due to its security and economic stability stands in the first place in the region for receiving migrants fleeing their war-torn countries.
Iran has been a generous host for more than 2 million Afghan refugees for two decades, with little help from the international community.
Tehran has called on the international community to strengthen support for Iran for hosting the Afghan refugees and provide repatriation support for the refugees.
Voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has slowed in recent years in the face of poor security and economic conditions in Afghanistan, which Tehran blames on the US-led invasion of the country in 2001.
The office of the UNHCR was established by the UN General Assembly in 1950.
According to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, the agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees.
UNHCR first opened an office in Iran in 1984 and expanded its presence with the massive influx of Iraqi refugees following the Gulf War in 1991 and the start of Afghans’ mass return movement to Afghanistan in 1992.
Today UNHCR has its Central office representation in Tehran, plus three sub offices in Mashhad, Kerman and Ahwaz.
