Iran is stepping up deportations of Afghans trying to flee the Taliban and poverty
ZARANJ, Afghanistan—To escape the Taliban, Mohammad Taher, a soldier in the army of the ousted U.S.-backed Afghan government, fled first through the desert to Pakistan, then dodged gunfire to cross the border into Iran. There, a truck he was riding in—crammed together with other Afghan migrants—slid off a winding road and flipped, leaving him with serious injuries.
“People are simply being dumped on the border” by Iranian authorities, a United Nations official said. “The percentage of deportations is rising dramatically since the takeover by the Taliban,” the official said. “I may have to start begging to collect the amount I need to travel home,” to the province of Zabul, about 350 miles away, Hashim said.
“I only went so I could buy rice, oil and other things for my wife,” said Mr. Gholami, immobile on a stretcher at an International Organization for Migration center in Zaranj. He described how Iranian police drove him to the border in a bus for hours and then deported him. “There was no ambulance,” he said. “They told me to sit on the seat, but I was screaming in pain. Then they asked me to stand.
“Now that Iran’s economy has been severely damaged by the pandemic, as well as unilateral coercive sanctions, and in recent months has hosted more than 300,000 new Afghan refugees, we are no longer able to host the displaced population,” Iran’s deputy permanent representative to the U.N., Zahra Ershadi, said in October.
Singapore Latest News, Singapore Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Iran Bets Its Economy Will Hold as It Takes Tough Stance on Nuclear ProgramIranian officials say the country’s economy is resilient and would survive even if talks to revive the 2015 nuclear deal collapse.
Read more »
Earthquake, Magnitude 4.8 - CENTRAL IRAN - 2021 December 11, 18:56:06 UTCMagnitude: mb 4.8, Region: CENTRAL IRAN, Date time: 2021-12-11 18:56:06.9 UTC, Location: 30.77 N ; 56.87 E, Depth: 15 km.
Read more »
G7 warns Iran, Russia about consequences of their actionsForeign ministers from the world's richest nations have held a two-day meeting in Liverpool, northwest England, seeking to present a strong, united front against global threats.
Read more »
Pakistani Taliban kill policeman after calling off truceThe incident comes a day after the militant group ended a month-long truce, accusing the government of violating the terms of the agreement.
Read more »
Afghan director once in Cannes spotlight now in Taliban's shadowFour years ago, Afghan film director Salim Shaheen was in the spotlight at Cannes, but now he spends his days confined to his home, afraid of the new Taliban regime and their clampdown on arts and music.
Read more »