Ali Kazemi, the Secretary of the National Committee on the Convention on the Rights of the Child at Iran’s Ministry of Justice, stated that 85% of street and working children in Tehran are migrants from Afghanistan.
Kazemi made these remarks in an interview with the ISNA news agency, noting that approximately 3,200 children in street and labor situations have been identified in Tehran, with 85% of them being “nationals” (citizens of Afghanistan).
He emphasized that issues such as school dropout and financial difficulties force these children to stand at intersections.
He mentioned that the Department of Foreign Nationals has expelled undocumented migrant children due to violations of national laws regarding children.
He added, “The current policy is that undocumented individuals should return to their home country, while the rules and regulations of the country should be communicated to documented nationals by the Department of Foreign Nationals for compliance.”
In his conversation with ISNA, the Secretary highlighted that several crimes arise concerning street children. One is exploitation and neglect, and another is the school dropout issue for these children, which has been criminalized by law.
It is worth noting that migrant children are primarily engaged in collecting garbage. Some of these children are unaccompanied or come from low-income families.
The challenge of access to education for migrant children is also considered a factor contributing to child labor.
Currently, there are no precise statistics on the number of Afghan child laborers in Iran; however, a member of the Tehran City Council previously announced that there are about 70,000 child laborers in Tehran, with 80% of them being Afghan.
The spokesperson for the Tehran Municipality also mentioned a plan to collect Afghan child laborers and waste collectors, stating that they will be returned to Afghanistan.
