Increase in Afghan migration to Europe "under the influence of sanctions on the Iranian economy"
Reuters reported that the number of Afghan migrants leaving Iran for Europe due to economic problems has increased.
According to this report, the number of Afghan migrants who have come to the European Union has now exceeded that of Syrian nationals, and they are the highest number of migrants entering the European Union illegally.
In recent days, European countries have warned about the possibility of a new wave of Syrian refugees due to the Turkish military offensive, but estimates show that their more serious problem is the mass of refugees, especially Afghan migrants, who have entered the union illegally, especially through Greece.
The latest statistics from the European Union Border Agency show that this year, about 17,000 Afghan migrants have crossed the Aegean Sea to the Greek coast.
A senior EU official told Reuters that about half of these people had been residents of Iran before traveling to Europe through Turkish territory, and many Afghan migrants coming to Europe were born in Iran.
According to the official, the reason for their migration to Europe is "the worsening economic situation in Iran under the influence of US sanctions."
Since May of last year, when the United States resumed nuclear sanctions against Iran, the Iranian economy has been under severe pressure.
In recent months, there have been numerous reports about Afghan workers leaving Iran. Some of these workers returned to Afghanistan and some went to other countries.
Furthermore, in May of this year, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi made a controversial statement, saying, "If oil sales reach zero, we may ask Afghans to leave Iran."
These statements, which indicated Iran's attempt to use Afghan refugees as a tool and pressure the European Union, were met with widespread negative reactions. However, Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister defended his previous statements and announced that European governments paying for Afghan refugees in Iran had previously been a "demand" of the Islamic Republic, but after US sanctions, it had taken on "new dimensions."
He announced that Afghan refugees cost Iran a total of "eight billion dollars," adding: "European governments must play their part in hosting refugees, either in the form of paying for them or by accepting some of them into their countries."
Alaeddin Boroujerdi, an Iranian MP, also defended Araqchi's words, saying, "The European Union pays six billion euros to Turkey annually to prevent the migration of Syrian refugees, while they do not take any action regarding Iran."
A few months after explicit threats from Iranian officials, it appears that Iran's increasing economic problems have partially met the demands of the Islamic Republic's officials.
Source: Radio Farda
