Iran calls on Europe to fulfill obligations regarding Afghan refugees

“We expect international organizations and Europe to live up to their financial obligations in the area of refugees,” Iranian Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi said in a meeting with United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi in Tehran on Monday.

Vahidi said Iran has always treated foreigners well from a humanitarian point of view, but this cannot be used as a pretext by Europeans to not fulfill their responsibilities, and that they must keep in mind that the main destination of these migrants is Europe.

“Our feeling is that the Europeans have the impression that the Islamic Republic of Iran accepts the refugees and therefore they do not worry about the flow of these refugees towards their own borders,” the Iranian interior minister stated.

He referred to the United States actions in Afghanistan and said the US is behind the current situation in the country, it has blocked Afghan funds and is the root cause of the plight of the Afghan people.

Referring to medical and educational services provided for Afghan citizens living in Iran, Vahidi said: “Foreign nationals living inside the country, like Iranian citizens, receive appropriate health and medical services.”

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has never built a wall to prevent the entry of immigrants, while international support for the services that Iran provides to foreign nationals is insignificant,” the Iranian interior minister noted.

Iran has hosted millions of refugees from the neighboring country over the past decades.

Following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan last August, thousands of Afghans have been flocking to Iran on a daily basis.