Tehran (IP) - Iranian Deputy Interior Minister said that interventionist policies in the region caused the high influx of refugees, and as long as the policy exists, the displacement of refugees continues.

Iran PressIran news: Attending a joint press conference with Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, at the Interior Ministry on Sunday, Hossein Zolfaghari stated: "International aid for Afghan citizens is less than 5% of their total expenses and it is Iran that is bearing the rest of the expenses."

Zolfaghari said Iran had predicted the recent developments in Afghanistan, and so it prepared the grounds for 500,000 afghans to enter Iran.

He added a lot of coordination with the Taliban officials had been done to prevent unconventional and widespread migration.

He said: "About 526,000 Afghan students are studying in the country's schools, 120,000 of whom are the children of illegal immigrants."

Zolfaghari pointed to anti-COVID vaccination and reported that more than 3.4 m foreign nationals received vaccines. 

"In the field of health, we did not differentiate between Iranians and citizens," he stressed.

The top official recalled that the refugees lived inside the country and received services like Iranian citizens.

Earlier, Filippo Grandi, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, commended Iran for its generous hospitality towards Afghan refugees.

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