Tehran Governor Says Expelling Undocumented Afghan Students Freed 3,200 Classrooms, Cut Costs

Tehran Governor Mohammad Sadegh Motamedian announced that the expulsion of undocumented Afghan migrants over the past year has freed up 3,200 classrooms in Tehran schools. He stated there were 220,000 undocumented Afghan students in Tehran, and policies implemented led to the expulsion of 60% of them.

Motamedian said the expulsions have also reduced government costs. "Each student imposes specific costs on the government. When managing 3,200 classrooms, water, electricity, and gas consumption, school operating expenses, and teachers' salaries are all borne by the public treasury," he told reporters, according to ISNA news agency.

According to figures provided by Motamedian, more than 530,000 undocumented Afghan migrants have been expelled from Tehran province alone, resulting in decreased bread and flour consumption. He asserted that Tehran should not host undocumented Afghan migrants, adding, "None of our 15 neighboring countries would be willing to accept such a population of unauthorized nationals in their capital."

Afghanistan International's findings indicate that some Afghan refugees forcibly returned from Iran have faced arbitrary arrests, torture, and extrajudicial killings in Afghanistan.