KERMAN – The Kermani people expect the next administration to tackle drug smuggling through their province and stop illegal migration from Afghanistan.

Kerman has been greatly suffering from drug trafficking and problems caused by illegal Afghan migrant workers over the past years, the Mehr News Agency reported on Wednesday.
Its people now expect the next president to take serious measures to resolve these crises as the previous efforts have not been that much effective.
Kerman has been a major transit route for drugs as it is located on a high margin of the Lut desert in the central south of Iran.
About 32 percent of violent crimes in the province is associated with drug trafficking which resulted in death of a large number of its citizens. Nearly one hundred thousands of Kermanis are drug addicts and this is endangering both families and the society.
The job opportunities in Kerman’s farms and kiln workshops have changed the province into a favorable place for Afghan migrant workers with a large number of them working now in pistachio farms.
The presence of about 2.350 million Afghan migrants in Iran has led to loss of 1.6 million job opportunities for Iranians; however, this is more notable in Kerman.
There are now about 250,000 Afghans residing in Kerman, 150,000 of them already work in the province.
Their presence in Kerman has created a lot of problems including unemployment and healthcare problems. The marriages between Afghan men and Iranian women, lack of quarantine for Afghan migrants especially the illegal ones and their poor hygiene have contributed to the spread of diseases across the province.
Deportation of illegal Afghan migrants is not sufficient and the best solution is to severely control the borders with this country