UNHCR chief due in Iran today over Afghan refugees

Head of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Antonio Guterres is due to pay an official visit to Tehran later today to discuss the latest conditions of the Afghan refugees residing in Iran, the UNHCR said. Guterres’s two-day visit to Tehran will start on Monday as Afghanistan is gearing up for a presidential election in April, the UNHCR office said in a statement. "With the transition in Afghanistan in 2014, the need for humanitarian assistance may very well increase," said the statement. Campaigning for Afghanistan’s presidential election officially began on February 2 with 11 candidates competing to succeed President Hamid Karzai. The April 5 presidential election is widely viewed as a crucial test for Afghanistan and the next president, as most of the US-led foreign forces in the country prepare to finally withdraw their combat troops after nearly 13 years of military intervention in the war-torn country. "Iran and Pakistan, the two largest refugee hosting countries in the world, will need continued international support to maintain asylum space for refugees during these difficult times," the statement added. The statement noted that during his visit, the UN refugee chief will meet Iranian officials, including Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Morteza Sarmadi, to voice the commitment of the UNHCR to support the government of Iran. Early in October, Guterres praised Tehran’s supports and protection for Afghan refugees in Iran. Guterres referred to Iran’s continued support in providing generous protection to the remaining Afghan refugees, and said, “The Government of Iran is to be commended for its progressive policy of ensuring that all refugee children attend school and that refugees have access to work permits and a far-reaching health insurance scheme.” “There are still 2.6mln Afghans spread across 82 countries with the most remaining in Iran and Pakistan. The Solutions Strategy for Afghan Refugees launched in 2012 includes governments of these two countries as well as Afghanistan and UNHCR,” Guterres said then. He emphasized that strong international support for all aspects of this strategy is, therefore, crucial. In mid-May, the UNHCR Representative in Iran Bernard Doyle lauded the country for its efforts and effective measures in supporting Afghan and Iraqi refugees residing in Iran. Doyle noted that there are over 880,000 refugees from Afghanistan and Iraq residing in Iran, and said, "Iran has well fulfilled its humanitarian duties in this regard." The UNHCR envoy said that his organization aims to support the Iranian government in its efforts to protect the refugees living in the country. He said the UNHCR has been in Iran for over a quarter of a century now. Doyle reiterated that Iran due to its security and economic stability stands in the first place in the region for receiving migrants fleeing their war-torn countries. Iran has been a generous host for more than 2 million Afghan refugees for two decades, with little help from the international community. Tehran has called on the international community to strengthen support for Iran for hosting the Afghan refugees and provide repatriation support for the refugees. Voluntary repatriation of Afghan refugees from Iran has slowed in recent years in the face of poor security and economic conditions in Afghanistan, which Tehran blames on the US-led invasion of the country in 2001. The office of the UNHCR was established by the UN General Assembly in 1950. According to the 1951 Convention on the Status of Refugees and its 1967 Protocol, the agency is mandated to lead and coordinate international action to protect refugees and resolve refugee problems worldwide. Its primary purpose is to safeguard the rights and well-being of refugees. UNHCR first opened an office in Iran in 1984 and expanded its presence with the massive influx of Iraqi refugees following the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and the start of Afghans' mass return movement to Afghanistan in 1992. Today UNHCR has its Central office representation in Tehran, plus three sub offices in Mashhad, Kerman and Ahwaz.