Local authorities in the city of Mashhad in Iran’s Razavi Khorasan province ordered a ban on business activities of mobile Afghan merchants in the bazaars in the city. Iranian media reported that the notice was installed in the entrance of Mashhad’s bazaar on Saturday.

According to the report, the ban on Afghans comes as half a million Afghan citizens are currently living in the city.

Meanwhile, the Afghans living in Iran expressed concerns that the move will hinder their activities and cause severe challenges.

They also complained about mistreatment by the country’s police toward the Afghan refugees.

“The demand of the refugees from the Islamic Emirate is to address the challenges of the refugees through diplomatic paths, so that the refugees be treated based on international laws,” said Enayatullah Alokozai, an Afghan refugee in Iran.

“The situation of the Afghan refugees is very difficult. I hope the countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan, which host most Afghan refugees, treat them based on international refugees laws,” said Ghulam Ghobar, an Afghan refugee in Iran.

Asifa Stanikzai, a refugee rights activist, urged Iran to use long-term vision regarding the Afghan refugees in Iran.

“Iran should have a deep vision for the long-term and effectively use of the Afghan refugees based on its territory, in economic development,” she said.

Meanwhile, the deputy Minister of Refugees and Repatriation, Abdul Rahman Rashid, said that the Islamic Emirate’s officials are in talks with the Iranian officials to address the issue.

“The Islamic Emirate’s officials have talked with Iranian delegations and now that the acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi has traveled, he will discuss this problem with them,” he said.

Earlier, Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's foreign minister, asked the United Nations to facilitate the return of Afghan refugees to their country.
Abdollahian in this forum added that Iran has been hosting Afghan refugees for more than 45 years and asked the United Nations to cooperate with Iran in the return of these migrants to their country.