The Iranian Ministry of Interior has given Afghan students aged 7 to 18 without legal residency documents five days to apply for a "study introduction letter" that allows them to enroll in Iranian schools. According to the announcement from the General Directorate of Foreign Nationals and Immigrants, the issuance of the "study introduction letter" for Afghan students began on Monday, August 12, and will last for five days. The plan includes Afghan families who are "without legal documents or have invalid documents" and have children of school age between 7 and 18 years. The Iranian Ministry of Interior emphasized that this plan is "in no way" aimed at identifying Afghan nationals without legal residency documents. Iranian media reported in June that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic, had ordered that "no Afghan child, even those who are illegally present in Iran without documents, should be deprived of education, and all must be registered in Iranian schools." Meanwhile, Mohammad Baqer Nobakht, the government spokesman, also emphasized that the government has a duty to carry out this order "carefully." Previously, only those Afghan children whose residency was approved by Iran were able to study in Iranian schools. Additionally, before 2014, Afghan students with legal residency documents were required to pay tuition to study in Iranian schools. This issue led to protests, including in 2004 when Afghan migrants in Mashhad protested against the requirement to pay tuition fees. In October of that year, the Afghan Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned the Iranian ambassador in Kabul to seek explanations regarding the educational status of Afghan students in Iran. Ultimately, the Iranian Ministry of Education announced in 2014 that it would not charge tuition from foreign students. The issuance of some discriminatory regulations and laws against Afghans in recent years has been a topic of extensive discussions in Iran. Meanwhile, in January 2015, the punishment of four Afghan students in Pakdasht Varamin led to a wave of sympathetic messages from Iranians towards Afghan migrants. According to Islamic Republic officials, there are 320,000 Afghan students and 13,000 Afghan university graduates in Iran.
Registration Begins for Afghan Children Without Legal Residency Documents in Iranian Schools
The Iranian government has initiated a program allowing Afghan children without legal residency to enroll in schools, responding to a directive from Supreme Leader Khamenei. This move aims to ensure that no Afghan child is deprived of education, highlighting ongoing discussions about the treatment of Afghan migrants in Iran. The initiative marks a significant shift in policy towards Afghan students, who previously faced restrictions.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The Iranian government has initiated a program allowing Afghan children without legal residency documents to enroll in schools. This follows a directive from Supreme Leader Khamenei to ensure educational access for all Afghan children in Iran.
- The program is open for five days starting August 12.
- This initiative marks a policy shift, as previously only Afghan children with legal residency could attend Iranian schools.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
Iran has a large Afghan migrant population, many of whom lack legal residency. Education access has been a contentious issue, with previous policies restricting Afghan children's school enrollment.
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