RASC News Agency: The commander of the Razavi Khorasan Border Guard has announced that Afghanistanis traveling to Iraq for the Arbaeen pilgrimage must enter Iran solely through the Islam Qala border. Additionally, a police official has indicated that no travel documents will be issued at Iranian borders for Afghanistani migrants holding Amayesh cards and other identification documents.
The police official emphasized that Afghanistanis can only enter Iran via the Islam Qala border. As Arbaeen approaches, large groups of pilgrims from Afghanistan and Iran are traveling to Iraq in organized caravans. On Tuesday, the Director General of Foreign Nationals and Migrants Affairs of Razavi Khorasan Province informed the IRNA news agency that 25,000 Afghanistani pilgrims have registered to enter Iran through the Islam Qala border.
He predicted that the number of Afghanistani pilgrims traveling to Iraq this year could increase by more than 15% compared to last year. Hossein Sharafati mentioned that 20,000 Afghanistanis residing in Razavi Khorasan Province have also registered for the Arbaeen pilgrimage. Across Iran, this number reaches tens of thousands. The Iranian Border Police commander in Razavi Khorasan stated that during Arbaeen, facilities will be set up by the Law Enforcement Force of the Islamic Republic of Iran (FARAJA) at the Dogharoun/Islam Qala border to accommodate Afghan pilgrims traveling to Iraq.
He added that the movement of pilgrims must be official and accompanied by legal documentation. Simultaneously, Omid Nodehi, the head of the Immigration and Passport Police, announced that no travel documents (Khadem documents) will be issued at any of Iran’s borders for Afghanistani residents holding Amayesh cards, census cards, or family registration plans.
He specified that Afghanistani citizens residing in Iran can apply for Khadem documents for the Arbaeen pilgrimage to Iraq by visiting designated offices in their respective provinces. Nodehi warned that police will prevent undocumented travel to the border provinces of Khuzestan, Kermanshah, Ilam, West Azerbaijan, and Kurdistan.
