IRIN interview with Interior Minister

Whereas much is known about the plight of Afghan refugees living in Pakistan, this is not the case with regard to those in Iran - a country which has generously been hosting them for the past 20 years. Iran maintains it has the largest Afghan refugee population in the world, and yet receives only a fraction of what Pakistan receives in terms of international humanitarian assistance. As the crisis continues to unfold in Afghanistan, the United Nations has repeatedly called on neighbouring countries to open their borders should a major exodus occur. Instead, Tehran has proposed establishing a series of camps inside Afghan territory to which assistance could be transported. In an interview with IRIN, Iranian Interior Minister Abdolvahed Musavi-Lari defended that position, saying Iran could no longer shoulder the burden alone. Citing the considerable impact the presence of the refugees has brought to bear on the country, as well as well as the considerable financial implications of that presence, he called for greater international burden-sharing. QUESTION: Given recent figures by your government, there are over two million Afghan refugees living in Iran today. What impact has this had on your country? ANSWER: In addition to the refugees who are living illegally in Iran, according to the latest statistics, there are 2,355,427 resident Afghan refugees in the country. Undoubtedly this big problem has a considerable impact in different domains. The Afghans have taken away some 900,000 job opportunities, while Iran is confronted with an unemployment rate of 14 percent. They are provided with educational, health and medical requirements, enjoy subsidised services and commodities such as telecommunication, public transportation and food, as well as legal procedures and law enforcement. These have all presented extraordinary human and financial burdens and costs upon society, to say nothing of disturbing the planning system of the country. Q: In terms of economics, how much money have you received in terms of international assistance for the Afghan refugees in Iran? Is it enough, or do you need more? A: The entire global contribution, comprised of UNHCR, WFP and NGOs in 2001, was US $12.4 million. Given that settlement costs of the refugees in Iran amounts to US $2.9 billion, it goes without saying that there is a big gap between global contributions and the expenses of settling refugees in Iran - which is an international responsibility. Q: With this huge amount of refugees, why hasn't your government been more active in attracting international humanitarian assistance? A: It seems that the political positions taken towards the Islamic Republic of Iran have influenced the issue of providing grants for the government in taking care of refugees. In 1993 and 1997, there were two seminars held that concentrated on focusing international organisations' and NGOs' attention to the amassing problems of the refugees. The government expressed its firm will regarding providing all sorts of facilities to support the refugees within the legal frameworks. Moreover, every year the executive committee of UNHCR [The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees] has emphatically demanded that international organisations help with the issue of the resident refugees in Iran. In other words, we should be asking the global community this question. Q: Given the current refugee crisis situation, would you like to see a stronger international humanitarian assistance programme established in Iran? If so - how do you think that should be implemented? A: Undoubtedly providing international assistance for the refugees has been among our major policies. In fact, one of the branches of the Crisis Management Headquarters - [the one] for international cooperation - is handling the issue. So far, this section has held two meetings with international organisations, including representative countries and NGOs in Iran, in order to clarify its position and provide any type of assistance in transferring the contributions to Afghanistan through the Islamic Republic of Iran. We are particularly interested that these contributions would be delivered. Q: Earlier, the United Nations estimated that up to 400,000 Afghan refugees might attempt to cross into the Islamic Republic of Iran. What is the situation on the border today? Can you update us? A: The country's policy is not to accept any more refugees, the reason being is that considering the huge number of refugees residing presently in Iran and the lack of international support, it becomes practically impossible to accept new refugees. It is better and more efficient to provide the refugees with assistance inside their home country for humanitarian reasons. The borders are guarded as usual by border guards, who have been firmly forbidden to allow in any foreign nationals. Q: As the Interior Minister, what concerns do you have should an influx occur, and are you prepared for such an event? A: Naturally, the Ministry of Interior is quite sensitive towards the issue as far as its responsibilities are concerned. Therefore, the ministry would like to control the influx of refugees crossing the border. There have been a number of preliminary measures taken in this regard so far. Q: While the United Nations has called upon Iran to open its borders with Afghanistan, your government has proposed establishing a series of refugee camps inside Afghan territory instead. How viable is such an option and how would it work? A: In 1993, following clashes between Azerbaijan and Armenia in Qara Bagh region, the Iranian Ministry of Interior proposed for the first time a theory in the international level entitled "Controlling Refugees Within the Source Country". This was when Iran was confronted with a huge number of Azeri refugees. According to this theory, eight refugee camps, holding about 49,000 people were set up within the borders of Azerbaijan. The Islamic Republic of Iran provided aid and supported them for two years. It is therefore possible to repeat the same experience in better circumstances. Q: Iran does not officially recognise the Taliban government in Kabul, and yet you propose to establish camps in areas still under Taliban control. In light of the current crisis, has your government had any contact with the Taliban authorities regarding this, and how fruitful have those discussions been? A: Unofficially, authorities in charge of border protection in frontier provinces have made some contacts with their counterparts, but so far we have not received any positive answers. However, we are continuing the efforts. This has been while the Taliban has announced that none of the Afghan nationals will migrate to neighbouring countries from the areas within their domain. Nevertheless, if required, it is possible to set up camps at the border (zero point). Q: Where exactly are these sites located, and how far into Afghan territory are they located? A: So far two camps have been set up in Mile 46 and Mahkaki regions around Zabol city in Sistan-Baluchestan, holding more than 2,000 refugees in them. [According to latest figures provided by UNHCR, there are some 6,000 in Mahkaki] Q: In order to provide international humanitarian assistance more effectively, wouldn't it make more logistical sense to establish camps inside Iran instead? A: Perhaps the present question could have been answered had the international organisations made any response towards providing humanitarian aid to 2,700,000 refugees who have been hosted by the Islamic Republic of Iran for two decades. Q: The United Nations has emphasised the more assistance that can be brought into Afghanistan, the less people will feel the need to leave their homes of origin. Do you share this view? A: Undoubtedly there is a direct relation between the displacement of the Afghans to neighbouring countries and the amount of global aid allocated to Afghanistan, because a major part of Afghans migrate because they do not have access to food, health and medical facilities inside their country. Q: Has your government taken any measures to facilitate more international assistance into the country from Iran? If so, what specific measures are they? A: There have been a number of measures taken regarding the issuance of airport and customs facilities, customs exemption, transit, as well as accepting each and any NGO or international organisation interested in providing humanitarian aid to Afghan refugees.