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UN stops repatriation of Iraqi refugees from Iran

IRNA

Tehran, Sept 14, IRNA -- Based on decisions adopted by the United 
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, repatriation of Iraqi 
nationals living in Iran will not be pursued, an Iranian official said
Sunday. 
Director General of the Interior Ministry`s Bureau for Alien and 
Foreign Immigrants Affairs (BAFIA) Ahmad Hosseini said that any 
repatriation of Iraqi refugees to their home country is self-motivated
and illegal. 
He stressed that under the ongoing situation in Iraq, Iran will 
never ensure security in Iraqi cities. He added that the life security
and rights of Iraqi refugees would be fully observed under the 
supervision of the United Nations. 
"Based on an agreement made between Iran and the UN High 
Commissioner for Refugee, repatriation process which had been expected
to be implemented at the end of the Iranian month of Mordad (August) 
was cancelled due to the explosion in the UN office in Baghdad," he 
said. 
He further put the number of Iraqi refugees fleeing to Iran at 
202,000, and said that the UNHCR has taken no new decision on 
repatriation of refugees so far. 
A massive truck bomb at UN headquarters in Baghdad on August 19 
left at least 24 people killed and over 100 wounded. The UN top envoy 
to Iraq Vieira de Mello was among the dead. 
FM/212 
End