In an interview with the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations website, Alireza Rajaei referred to the consequences of the large-scale legal and illegal entry of Afghan immigrants and refugees into Iran and stated: Due to the recent issues in Afghanistan, we are witnessing vast waves of immigration to Iran.

Saying that Iran always considers humanitarian approaches but the consequences of the large-scale migration of Afghans to Iran have created many problems, he continued: Unfortunately, we even see that most of the Afghan immigrants are Pashtun speakers, and Tajiks and Hazaras are less present among them which can have consequences.

The expert on international affairs expressed criticism over the performance of the Taliban in terms of fulfilling their responsibilities towards their neighbors, border disturbances, creating security and accountability for the situation of their citizens, and emphasized: We should not allow the organized entry of such people make “crisis layout engineering” for the country. Unfortunately, the Taliban opposes Iran on some critical issues. We are in a situation where we provide unilateral services to the Taliban without this group meeting Iran’s demands.

Emphasizing that the disturbances against Iran on the borders and inside Afghanistan should not be hidden, Rajaei said: The high percentage of Afghans in some provinces has created the risk of dangerous changes in the demographic composition, and of course, the high birth rate of this population should be taken into account, which causes the high growth of the Afghan people.

The former official of the Afghanistan Support Headquarters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs mentioned: In the meantime, their marriages with Iranian girls have also created many challenges, and unfortunately, the Taliban do not feel responsible for their nationals and their issues, and Afghanistan also has conditions wherein the rights of those women cannot be followed up in situations where they face problems. Society should know the negative consequences of marrying Iranian girls to foreign nationals.

Saying that the people’s livelihood has not caused any concern for the Taliban and they have no obligation to pay attention to the political and social demands of the people, he warned against the entry of Taliban affiliates into Iran under the guise of immigrants. He added: The unusual presence of Afghans in Iran invades our borders, homes, and tablecloths. Iranian people witness the high presence of this population. They should be aware of their presence in the strategic context of cities as well as the possibility of targeted organizations and possible exploitation of them against the interests and security of Iran.

The expert on international affairs pointed to the installation of barbed wire and fences on the border line between Pakistan and Afghanistan to block and prevent any illegal crossing from that area and said: In the current situation, it is not possible to call this volume of population movement towards Iran as “immigrant” and policies should be adopted, and a practical decision should be made accordingly.

While recalling the security and political problems that the Pakistani Taliban have created in association with the Afghan Taliban for the governance of Islamabad, Rajaei emphasized that: Presence of this size of the population, in addition to the economic consequences and problems arising from it, increase in unemployment, mass strife, increase in crimes, the occurrence of family disorders with manifestations such as the birth of undocumented children, illegal and unregistered marriages, domestic violence, will target people’s comfort and social vitality. In addition, no historiography has been done for these people, and in terms of demographics, their ethnicity, targets, and placements should be observed and clarified. This issue also requires people’s contributions.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that some of Iran’s cooperation with the Taliban leads to the label of collaboration with the Taliban in the international arena. At the same time, Iran itself is a victim of terrorism, adding: In Iran, asylum seekers and immigrants, as soon as entering the country, can live in any place they want. Therefore, as soon as they enter, they enter with all kinds of damage, and at the same time, it is mixed with all types of damage. Now, a large part of the social problems and the social environment’s corruption in the cities’ outskirts are caused by the problems created by some of the immigrants.

Rajaei listed addiction, illiteracy and lack of awareness, divorce, and damaged family as other issues related to the immigrants that cause more severe damage and noted: Such factors together form the cycle of damage and corruption that should be managed thoughtfully.

He considered the visit of the prime minister of Qatar to Kandahar and the political meetings held to indicate new developments. Referring to the consequences of the Islamabad agreement concerning the fight against terrorism, he continued: By controlling the migrant crisis, measures for smuggling and its social and security consequences should be avoided, and at the same time, the incoming population of Afghans should be managed and organized.