TEHRAN – Authorized foreign nationals and refugees residing in Iran will be able to participate in the Arbaeen pilgrimage without any problems, the deputy interior minister has said.

The Arbaeen pilgrimage, which is one of the largest religious gatherings in the world, comes 40 days after Ashura, the martyrdom anniversary of Imam Hussein (AS), the third Imam of Shia Muslims, and the grandson of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). Each year, a huge crowd of people flocks to Karbala, where the holy shrine of Imam Hussein (AS) is located, to perform mourning rituals.

They can also be provided with health insurance, but undocumented nationals won’t receive any services, IRNA quoted Ali-Akbar Pourjamshidian as saying.

The country will also help Pakistani and Afghan pilgrims who want to attend this year’s rituals. They will be allowed to enter the country with their vehicles to pass the borders, the official added.

From the beginning of the current Iranian year, March 21, till June 27, a total of 717,658 Afghans have returned to Afghanistan; more than 80 percent of them were dispatched voluntarily.

According to the head of the National Organization for Migration, Nader Yar-Ahmadi, there has been no change in the residency and the kind of services provided to documented Afghans residing in the country.

On the contrary, they will benefit from more services as illegal nationals leave the country, IRNA reported. 

“The majority of these nationals are employees or students; we normally consider employment as a foundation for residency in our long-term planning,” IRNA quoted Yar-Ahmadi as saying.

The official went on to say that the presence of illegal migrants in any country poses many challenges, and in critical situations, they will be the main suspects. Their presence negatively impacts the economy, social, and security sectors. 

Global experience has shown that migrants at most can account for three percent of the population of any country. With Iran’s population estimated to reach around 90 million next year, the figure will amount to three million migrants. Currently, there are more than 6.1 million nationals living in the country, which should gradually decrease, Yar-Ahmadi added.

5th Intel. Congress on “Health in Arbaeen” 

The 5th International Congress on “Health in Arbaeen” was held in Tehran from May 26 to 27 with the participation of six countries.

This year’s event brought together participants as well as 24 international lecturers from Italy, Iraq, Palestine, Lebanon, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom, IRNA reported. 

“The main goal of the congress is to make physicians familiar with the issues of health care and treatment during the Arbaeen pilgrimage. It mainly focuses on endemic diseases that may spread by Afghan and Pakistani pilgrims who pass Iran on their way to Iraq,” IRNA quoted Abdolreza Pazoki, an official with the health ministry, as saying.

They also discussed guidelines for treating skin, musculoskeletal, and other diseases, as well as needed medicines and medical equipment.

The same as previous years, medical universities on the borders will monitor infectious diseases by taking preventive measures.

MT/MG