I thought this story was an interesting parallel to last week’s post as it discusses Iran’s reaction to Afghan refugees within its borders. It’s called Times get tougher for Afghan immigrants in Iran and it comes from Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders). I chose this perspective because the most I could find about Iranians actually migrating was centered around the Islamic Revolution in the late 70s. Last week we discussed the dire situations refugees were living in once they returned, forcibly or not, to Afghanistan. This article describes another difficult situation as Iran is beginning to forcibly return more and more Afghanis. The issue arises in that as the national migration laws have become stricter i.e. legal migrants need to renew documentation; Afghans fall into illegality and then can be forced back to Afghanistan.
Besides the difficulty of the situation in Iran, balancing national sovereign issues and a destitute population, the article also speaks once again to the overall lack of international aid. I was shocked by this: “While Iranian authorities claim to spend 6 US$ a day for every Afghan refugee, United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) spends the same amount in one year.”
I think this article is an important link between the refugees we see and realizing the lengths that they have gone to escape Afghanistan, only to overwhelm Iran, and eventually get sent back. It’s an even more complicated issue than one of lack of international funding because the massive number of immigrants has begun to affect Iran.
Here’s another more recent article about the forced removal of Afghan immigrants (Iran Expels Afghan Refugees). If these migrants are truly refugees, as in they applied and received status under the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees/1967 Protocol, how can they be removed? I was under the impression that refugee status meant permanency and that there was a legitimate life-threatening concern in one’s home country that required international protection. If these Afghan immigrants are refugees (in the legal sense) is Iran acting illegally? If so, can anything be done? Or, is this just an example of a nation exercising its sovereign rights and demonstrating the weaknesses of international accords?
ok it's Iraq but it's interesting
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Here is a link to a blog put up by Morgan on a different Blog. There are a
number of entries that tie more to your topic than theirs. Enjoy.
15 years ago
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I think it is interesting to note in and of itself how many times we have brought up the issue of international authority and the global community's responsibility for other nations' citizens. It sometimes seems to me that we act in an internationally responsible way when it behooves us to do so. When it is inconvenient or bad timing, we are quick to defer responsibility. When we could use some international accord and respect, we jump right in. Do you think that international accords and governing bodies will be strengthened in the coming years (especially considering the economic and environmental times)?
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