Speaking at the airport, Momeni said, “We have nearly two million undocumented foreign nationals in the country. These individuals are taking a significant number of employment opportunities and consuming substantial public subsidies.”
He emphasized that while Iran shares deep historical, cultural, and religious ties with its neighbors, it cannot host such a large number of migrants from those countries, mainly referring to Afghanistan.
“Our top priority is to facilitate their return so they can contribute to rebuilding their own countries,” he noted.
Momeni acknowledged that the concentration of undocumented migrants in Kerman is higher than the national average.
He outlined key objectives of his visit, which include reviewing security, migration, and economic issues in the province.
He also plans to inaugurate and launch several development projects during his stay.
For decades, Iran has been hosting millions of Afghans who have escaped war and poverty in their homeland in search of a better life. However, a vast majority of them are undocumented and cause a huge burden on Iran, which is already reeling from sanctions and resource shortages.
