IRAN'S UNEVEN HANDLING OF REFUGEE CLAIMS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ANKARA 006558 SIPDIS STATE FOR HTWOOSTER, POSTS FOR IRAN WATCH E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/01/2016 TAGS: AF IR IZ PGOV PINR PREL TU SUBJECT: IRAN'S UNEVEN HANDLING OF REFUGEE CLAIMS REF: SECSTATE 80055 Classified By: DCM NANCY MCELDOWNEY FOR REASONS 1.4(B) AND (D) ¶1. (C) Summary: The Iranian government's approach in dealing with Afghan refugees is markedly different from the way it handles Iraqi refugees, according to our consular contacts. Refugees from Afghanistan face greater official and societal obstacles than those from Iraq. The Iranian government has also taken measures to better monitor how the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) deals with refugee processing. End Summary. -------------- POLICY CHANGE FOR GOI -------------- ¶2. (C) Consular officers spoke with UNHCR employees Ms. Maryam Khomami who was the head of the Afghan Repatriation Committee of UNHCR and with Ms. Niousha Masoumi Fakhar who works in the public relations department of UNHCR. Both are based in UNHCR offices in Iran. ¶3. (C) According to these women, the Government of Iran (GOI) completed repatriation of all registered Afghan refugees in October 2006 and is no longer accepting asylum claims from Afghans. The GOI has repatriated all registered Afghan refugees who wished to return to Afghanistan. The Iranian regime is using more aggressive measures against economic migrants from Afghanistan living in Iran. Iraqi refugees, on the other hand, continue to be welcomed. ¶4. (C) Both sources noted that since the fall of the Taliban regime in Kabul, the GOI no longer approves refugee status for Afghans and has stopped accepting refugees from Afghanistan. In October 2006, the GOI closed the province of Zabol to resettlement. The GOI attitude towards Afghan refugees now is that they are illegal aliens seeking economic opportunities. If they are found, they will be immediately deported back to Afghanistan. ¶5. (C) The GOI has also become harsher when dealing with Afghan refugees whom the GOI previously allowed to settle in Iran. Ms. Masoumi Fakhar gave the example of a client who previously was able to attend university in Iran and obtain a medical degree. Now, two years later, he is not able to practice medicine because the laws have changed and he does not have the right to work. Still, he has found a way to survive by setting up an informal arrangement with a hospital to work during the graveyard shift. ¶6. (C) To find illegal aliens, the GOI performs random checks at work places, mainly construction sites. Oftentimes, their Afghan accent will expose them. As an example of how the GOI,s patience for illegal Afghan migrants has run out, Ms. Masoumi Fakhar recalled how one boy, who was a registered refugee, was found without his registration card. He was not allowed to go home to get his card nor was he allowed to see his mother before being deported. The GOI simply decided that he was not registered and there was no appeal process. The mother is now asking to be repatriated to Afghanistan to be reunited with her son. ¶7. (C) The GOI also does not like the fact the UNHCR processes refugees for foreign resettlement because it is against the idea of sending Muslims to live in non-Islamic countries. While the GOI grudgingly allows aliens to depart for foreign resettlement, its attitude is that Muslim refugees should seek resettlement in Muslim countries where their faith will be able to deepen. ¶8. (C) Prior to President Ahmadinejad's election, UNHCR was able to deal directly with the Iranian Interior Ministry (note: the office within the MOI that works with refugees is "BAFIA", headed by a Mr. Hossein. Ms. Masoumi Fakhar did not provide his first name. End note.). Since his election, however, they must send all communications to the Ministry of Interior via the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Ms. Masoumi Fakhar said that this is because the GOI decided that anything related to foreign relations would have to pass through the MFA, including refugee issues. Diplomatic notes from UNHCR are passed through Ambassador Al Habi in MFA to the MOI. Ms. Masoumi Fakhar said that in October 2006 there was a tri-partite meeting between the GOI, the Afghan government, and UNHCR in Geneva. She said that the meeting was held because the GOI was finished with repatriation and needed to talk about its future dealings with aliens from Afghanistan. ¶9. (C) The GOI,s attitude towards Iraqi refugees is quite different. Iraqi refugees tend to be wealthier than Afghan refugees, and the Iraqi diaspora in Iran has not been a problem for the GOI. The GOI still accepts refugees from Iraq and is sympathetic to their situation. The Iraqi refugees live in a camp along the Iran-Iraq border in the Iranian province of Kurdistan. Most of the Iraqi refugees are Kurdish. They do not venture into the hinterlands of Iran, nor do they wish to. In the GOI's view, Iraqi refugees come to escape the violence, not to seek employment. -------------- REFUGEE LIFE IN IRAN -------------- ¶10. (C) Both contacts described the refugee process in Iran. Once arriving in Iran, refugees can only claim benefits if they register with the GOI. During registration, the GOI determines if the aliens qualify for refugee status. If they do not, then they must return to their home country immediately. Because they are often unregistered, Afghan illegal aliens may not attend public schools or work. Afghan aliens who registered before the freeze may attend schools and university for a fee. The cost for a semester of university is approximately $500 a month ) a prohibitive amount for an Afghan refugee. ¶11. (C) Afghans who illegally reside in Iran mostly come from Kabul, Bamiam, and Habrab. The lure has been the availability of higher paying jobs in Iran. Afghan refugees work mainly in construction, mining, and housekeeping. Earlier, Iranian companies could easily hire illegal aliens, but the GOI passed new legislation requiring all aliens to have a valid Iranian residence card in order to work. Nonetheless, companies and families looking for household help continue to hire illegal Afghan refugees. ¶12. (C) The GOI has no provisions to assist Afghans who try to integrate into Iranian society. It is difficult for an Iranian male to marry an Afghan female and almost impossible for an Iranian female to marry an Afghan male. In the consular section, we have seen cases where 'mixed' marriages like this took place outside of Iran, since these marriages are not recognized and cannot be registered in Iranian identity books (the shenash nahmes). Furthermore, children of 'mixed' marriage cannot be registered in their parents, identity books. It is difficult for Afghans to become Iranian citizens. When asked if it could ever happen, Ms. Masoumi Fakhar paused and said, "Maybe if an Afghan (male) were to become very devote and study theology in Qom, perhaps it that case it might be allowed." -------------- IRANIAN PUBLIC OPINION -------------- ¶13. (C) The public perception of Afghan illegal aliens is that they are poor and dangerous. Among construction firms, they are known as honest, hard-working employees. Among the general population, though, Afghans face discrimination and are seen as "undesirables" who are taking away the jobs of Iranians. Ms. Khomami compared the illegal Afghan immigration issue to the American debate about illegal aliens in the U.S. and said, "Afghans are taking jobs, but the jobs they take are the ones Iranians don't want to do." ¶14. (C) Iraqi refugees have a better public perception, neither seen as violent nor troublesome. Compared to Afghans, Iraqis are better educated and have more money. When UNHCR cannot find the funds to help Afghan refugees, it will turn to NGOs that work with Iraqis that are awash in cash. ¶15. (C) COMMENT: Despite the closeness in history and language, Iran is closing its door to Afghanistan. Recent legislation is aimed at making life impossible for illegal Afghan aliens. For Iraqis, though, Iran presents itself as a sanctuary for those seeking to escape the violence in their streets. End Comment. Visit Ankara's Classified Web Site at http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/ankara/ WILSON