Amid the continuation of nationwide protests in Iran, the “Free People in Exile Movement” has recently stated that Afghan asylum seekers in Iran are facing systematic deprivation and lack access to basic necessities.
Members of the protest movement said in a statement that the situation of Afghan asylum seekers in Iran is “critical,” calling for urgent attention to and assistance for them.
The statement notes: “Access to basic food supplies for Afghan asylum seekers in Iran has been limited or effectively blocked.”
The Free People in Exile Movement further emphasized that this situation constitutes a “clear violation of fundamental human rights, the principle of non-discrimination, and the right to life,” and that its continuation significantly increases the risk of a silent humanitarian catastrophe.
The movement also called, in part of its statement, for the intervention of the United Nations—particularly the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights—to assess and contain this crisis.
Members of the movement demanded guarantees for immediate, safe, and non-discriminatory access for Afghan asylum seekers to food, healthcare services, and basic necessities.
They also stressed the need to halt arbitrary detentions and forced deportations, establish special protection mechanisms for Afghan asylum seekers in Iran, and called for the acceleration of international support, resettlement processes, and the creation of safe pathways for asylum seekers in emergency situations.
This comes as, over the past more than four years, many members of the former government’s security forces, civil servants, journalists, and human rights activists who migrated to neighboring countries have still not been able to obtain visas to resettlement countries.
