An Iranian official says Tehran is considering new restrictions for thousands of Afghans seeking to reside in Iran.
Aziz Kazemi, the head of the Interior Ministry's department for foreign nationals and immigrants, said on December 22 that the new restrictions on Afghan refugees will not be introduced in the current Iranian year that ends on March 20.
He also said Tehran had recently banned the accommodation of Afghan immigrants in the northern province of Mazandaran.
Iranian media report that Afghans are currently banned from living in nine provinces.
The government has recently announced that it had extended temporary visas for 450,000 Afghan refugees for six months as a reflection of “brotherly ties” with Afghanistan.
Iran has for the past three decades hosted millions of Afghans, one of the world’s largest refugee populations.
Tehran accuses the international community of not providing assistance.
