TEHRAN – Nader Yar-Ahmadi, the head of the National Organization for Migration, and Guusje Korthals Altes, Director of the Middle East and North Africa Department at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, have discussed ways to support Iran in hosting Afghan nationals.

Dutch Ambassador to Iran Emiel de Bont also attended the meeting, which was held on Friday in Tehran. It was centered on attracting infrastructure and financial aid from other countries to help Iran provide services to refugees, Tasnim news agency reported.

During the meeting, Korthals lauded Iran’s efforts and generosity in hosting refugees, despite the country's difficult situation, as well as its cooperation with international organizations, particularly the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR).

“We are well-aware of the heavy burden of hosting refugees, and we are willing to help resolve these problems, aside from political differences,” the official noted.

Global support for the hosting country should be extensive to reduce the overall burden, he added.

For his part, Yar-Ahmadi said developing collaborations with international organizations, increasing productivity, and benefiting from joint experiences to address problems are among the main tasks of the National Organization for Migration.

The official went on to say that the outbreak of war between Pakistan and Afghanistan, and the lack of international contributions, have slowed down unauthorized Afghans’ return to their home countries.

Fulfilling bilateral commitments and fostering cooperation between Iran and international organizations will help manage and address problems better, he added.

De Bont, along with the UNHCR representative, paid a visit to migrant service centers in Tehran. Iranian officials highlighted human-centered policies, job empowerment, and respect for human dignity in treating refugees. They also expressed hope that the visit would lay the ground for the expansion of international cooperation to provide better services to refugees.

Intl. Organization for Migration lauds Iran’s services

The Senior Advisor to the Director-General of the International Organization for Migration (IOM), Kim Eling, has appreciated the efforts of the country in hosting and providing services to Afghan refugees.

The IOM official met the Iranian Deputy Interior Minister, Mohammad Bathaei, on Monday on the sidelines of the 76th annual session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, being held from October 6 to 10 in Geneva, Switzerland.

Commending the country’s efforts in hosting Afghan nationals, Eling said that the reduction in the amount of aid from donor countries is the main challenge for the United Nations in advancing projects.

The Iranian official, for his part, underlined that “despite unilateral coercive sanctions, Iran has provided significant services to foreign nationals.”

Iran hopes donor countries carry their share of responsibility by allocating appropriate aid to projects being implemented in the country, the official added.

Delivering a lecture, meeting the High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi, as well as the Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General (SRSG) for Disaster Risk Reduction, Kamal Kishore, are among other plans for the Iranian official.

MT/MG