Iran's Interior Minister called on the international community to help facilitate voluntary repatriation of refugees and meet their needs in various sectors, including education, health, and employment.

Iran Press/Europe: Rahmani Fazli made the remarks in a meeting with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees Filippo Grandi on the sidelines of the 70th session of the Executive Committee (ExCom) of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Geneva late on Tuesday.

He said that the regional situation is so critical that if enough attention is not paid to the issue of refugees, it will not be solved.

Rahmani Fazli pointed to Iran's hosting of Afghan refugees for 40 years, saying: "Concerning the regional situation the issue of refugees will not be solved unless enough attention is paid to."

He stressed that the regional countries should do their common international responsibility, calling for seriously heeding the issue of refugees.

He said that the issue of migration is interconnected with the other phenomena, including narcotics, terrorism and as well as aliens' interference in the region, poverty, insecurity, and ignorance, adding if the international organizations do not shoulder their responsibility, a great wave of migration will emerge in the region.

For his part, Grandi referred to the problems arising from US unilateral sanctions, saying Iran bears the difficulties of hosting Afghan refugees.

The peace process in Afghanistan should not be stopped so that the grounds for repatriation of refugees will be prepared, he said.

213/

Read more:

Refugees, always welcomed by Iran: Interior Minister

Iran calls on western countries to take responsibility toward Afghan refugees