Iranian MP Reveals Plans To Grant Political Citizenship To Afghans

Iran is planning to grant political citizenship to Afghan residents within the country in a move set to divide the country.

MP Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash said the primary aim of the move is to formalize the presence of millions of illegal Afghan nationals in Iran, though it is understood to be a means of bolstering regime support and a declining population, amid a mass exodus of Iranians fleeing the country.

He admitted that “there is a lack of a comprehensive strategy to regulate and address the illegal entry of Afghans into Iran", where many come to work as economic migrants.

"The government appears to be inclined towards facilitating their entry and long-term residence, disregarding the extensive social, security, political, economic, and cultural repercussions stemming from the presence of over 8 to 10 million Afghans in Iran,” he said this week.

The issue of unlawful entry of Afghans into Iran is not a recent concern, the unregulated and unrestrained flow of Afghan nationals across the Iranian borders only intensifying since the takeover of the Taliban two years ago, prompting growing apprehension.

While the Islamic Republic may be considering accepting more Afghan Hazaras, who share Shiite beliefs with Iranians, there is a concern that an influx of Sunni migrants could potentially alter the demographic balance in the country.

Currently, Sunni Muslims constitute around 10 percent of Iran's nearly 88-million population. Hazaras make up the largest ethnic group among Afghan immigrants to Iran, followed by Sunni Tajiks, Pashtuns, and Uzbeks.