Nader Yar-Ahmadi, head of the Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs at the Ministry of Interior, said the process is proceeding “naturally and legally” and that the government intends to facilitate the exit of a similar number in the near future.
Yar-Ahmadi explained that regular coordination meetings are held to implement policies aimed at regulating the status of immigrants and refugees in the country.
He added that a significant portion of Afghan nationals residing illegally in Iran were repatriated during the first six months of the year, in accordance with state policy.
Yar-Ahmadi also said that the Ministry plans to introduce a new framework for providing services to those who remain in Iran legally. The initiative, he explained, will bring together all relevant governmental and service agencies to ensure a more coordinated and organized approach to managing foreign residents.
According to the official, the registration documents of undocumented migrants are being annulled as part of the exit process, and the government’s goal—in line with international standards—is to limit the proportion of the foreign migrant population to about three percent of Iran’s total population.
He further referred to a new legislative initiative under Article 85 of the Constitution, being jointly developed by the government and parliament, which combines the administration’s draft bill on migration management with a parliamentary plan. The joint working group, he said, is expected to conclude its work early next week before sending the proposal to the Guardian Council for final approval.
Yar-Ahmadi also revealed that the total number of foreign nationals residing in Iran has decreased from six million to 4.5 million as a result of the repatriation program.
He added that there are currently around 80,000 registered marriages between Iranian citizens and foreign nationals—half involving Afghan men and Iranian women and vice versa—accounting, together with their children, for an estimated population of 250,000.
