The Islamic Republic's refusal to accept expelled refugees
Hassan Qashqavi said in a television program on March 5 that “based on international law, the government cannot help refugees without requesting it from the embassy of their country of origin.” However, he also said that the embassies of the Islamic Republic can issue refugees with a return pass, “but we do not make any promises regarding the finances and costs of return.”
According to Qashqavi, the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic, "about 2,000" Iranian refugees have returned to Iran from Germany in the "last two or three months." It is worth noting that Germany has been the main destination for an unprecedented wave of refugees who have reached European countries by sea and land in recent months.
The European Union has also stressed that priority for refugees is given to refugees from the wars and conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Recently, the president of the EU, Donald Tusk, called on illegal economic migrants not to come to Europe, as this would "only endanger their lives and property" and "will not be beneficial."
There are no precise statistics to determine what immigration or residency status most Iranian citizens who have recently arrived in Europe are applying for, although Qashqavi said the issue is “more political than legal, and many asylum seekers are seeking asylum in other countries because of their political stance.”
Hassan Qashqavi, referring to a group of Iranians who had their lips sewn shut in France during the protest, says, "They have no desire to return to Iran and want to get to England." The Iranians who had their lips sewn shut were living in a place called "the jungle" in Calais, France. The police are demolishing the place.
Six Iranians have been sewing their lips since March 3 in protest against the eviction and demolition of a group of immigrants' residence in northern France.
Qashqavi has once again emphasized the previous position of the Islamic Republic's Foreign Ministry, that Tehran will not accept the forced deportation of refugees.
The European Union will hold a meeting with Turkey on Monday to discuss the issue of migrants and refugees. The bloc is set to provide Turkey with $3 billion in aid, but it is not yet clear how the aid will be used. The EU president has recently said that for many EU countries, the best course of action now is to immediately and massively expel refugees from Greece and return them to Turkey.
