Afghans Warned Of Deportation, Social Service Cuts If Caught Flouting Hijab Laws

Afghan immigrants have been warned of deportation if caught flouting Iran's mandatory hijab laws.

Ali Akbar Zarei, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Immigrant Affairs of Qom Province warned offenders will be stripped of "all social services" under a new enforcement program.

Speaking on the sidelines of a conference titled "Hijab of Afghan Immigrants" Zarei told Iran's state TV: “If they do not observe the hijab, it may lead to their deportation."

He also criticized the "inappropriate appearance" of young Afghan children in his speech at the conference.

"The sanctity of the holy city of Qom must be preserved by respecting hijab, and in case of non-compliance, legal means will be used."

During the nationwide protests in Iran last year some deported Afghans said the Iranian government had arrested dozens of their fellow countrymen on charges of participating in anti-regime protests.

Meanwhile, local officials of the Taliban in Herat told Radio Azadi, the Afghan Service of Radio Free Europe, that with the beginning of the protests in Iran, expelling Afghan immigrants from this country increased by 25%.

On October 13, Amnesty International reported that two Afghan teenagers were killed by the Iranian security forces.

On the other hand, the Wall Street Journal quoted some UN officials in December as saying that about 360,000 Afghan nationals were expelled from Iran after the Taliban came to power.