Interior minister: Iran hosts 6 million foreign nationals, 2 million unlicensed
Speaking during a televised interview, Momeni emphasized that the government has prioritized the deportation of undocumented individuals, citing limited national capacity to accommodate them and the loss of job opportunities for Iranian citizens.
Since mid-March, around 1.1 million Afghans have been deported at the border. However, estimates suggest that 50% of them attempt to re-enter the country.
To address the issue, the government has prioritized border security measures, including the construction of barriers and the installation of radar systems, the interior minister noted.
Momeni noted that similar strategies have proven effective in other countries, significantly reducing illegal crossings.
The minister also criticized employers who hire undocumented workers, stating that such practices deprive Iranian citizens of job opportunities.
He highlighted efforts to reduce the issuance of visas, acknowledging that excessive visa approvals in the past have contributed to the current challenges.
Iran continues to grapple with the economic and social impacts of hosting a large population of foreign nationals, many of whom are refugees from Afghanistan.
Source: IFP Editorial Staff
Prisoner swap shows Israel has failed to annihilate Qassam
“Scenes of the prisoner exchange showed that the occupiers have been defeated in the war, and the annihilation of al-Qassam has become an illusion”, the Hamas official said on Saturday in reference to the 15-month-old war on Gaza, which Israel launched on October 7, 2023, with the stated goal of destroying Hamas whose military wing launched the unprecedented Al Aqsa Storm Operation on Israeli positions earlier that day.
The prisoner exchange also sent the message that the martyrdom of al-Qassam commanders has strengthened the group, Abu Zhuri further said, referring to the killing of the Palestinian military commanders, including senior ones, during the Gaza war.
He made the comments hours after Israel and the Palestinian Hamas Resistance Movement carried out the fourth prisoner exchange under a ceasefire agreement that took effect on January 19 and paused brutal Israeli attacks on Gaza.
Israel released 183 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for three prisoners held by Hamas.
The Resistance movement said in a statement that the large crowd of Palestinians attending the exchange ceremony was tantamount to a “real referendum” deeming Resistance as the path to liberation of Palestine and its sanctities.
The transfer of Israeli prisoners in front of a platform painted by images of Resistance commanders shows the loyalty of al-Qassam members, sending the message that they will continue fighting against the Israeli regime, Hamas further said in its statement.
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