Tehran: “2014 is the key year to Afghanistan’s stability. The world cannot afford an unsuccessful Afghan transition,” said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees at the end of a two-day visit to Iran.
Some five million Afghans driven by war, cruelty and poverty have crossed the border into Iran and Pakistan in the past three decades, in search of better lives and jobs. According to police figures, almost one million Afghans are illegal immigrants in Iran while some 840,000 have been able to register as refugees.
The UNHCR has also claimed that its fundraising efforts this year will focus on young people, who are most of the registered refugees in Iran.
Non-governmental organizations and the UNHCR declare Afghanistan is not ready to accommodate a large return of refugees after the NATO forces leave.
