HRW asks Iran not to expel Afghans
| Publisher | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty |
| Publication Date | 10 September 2013 |
| Cite as | Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, HRW asks Iran not to expel Afghans, 10 September 2013, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/525e3f555.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
September 10, 2013
By RFE/RL
An Afghan woman who was repatriated from Iran looks on with other returnees at a provincial refugee agency premises in Herat, in eastern Afghanistan, in 2012.
A rights watchdog has asked Iranian authorities not to carry out their plan to expel hundreds of thousands of Afghans whose visas expired on September 6.
The New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) said on September 9 that due to a lack of security in Afghanistan and the absence of a fair asylum process in Iran, any mass deportation of Afghans would amount to a "serious violation of international law."
Tehran said in August that all Afghans living in Iran illegally or with temporary visas should leave the country by September 6 or face imprisonment and ultimate deportation.
It was unclear whether Iran had gone ahead with its plan.
Afghan officials said they had asked Tehran to extend the deadline and that they are still waiting for a response.
Link to original story on RFE/RL website
