RASC News Agency: Ali Kazemi, Secretary of the National Authority for the Convention on the Rights of the Child at the Iranian Ministry of Justice, has revealed that 85% of child laborers and street children in Tehran are Afghanistani migrants. In an interview with ISNA, Kazemi stated that approximately 3,200 children involved in street labor have been identified in Tehran, of whom 85% are “foreign nationals,” a term commonly used in Iran to refer to Afghanistani migrants.
Kazemi attributed the presence of these children on the streets to financial difficulties and a lack of access to education. He further explained that the Office for Foreign Nationals has deported undocumented Afghanistani migrant children, citing violations of national child protection laws. He added, “The current protocol is to return undocumented migrants to their home country, while legal migrants are informed by the Office for Foreign Nationals of the regulations they must adhere to.” Kazemi also highlighted that “several offenses are associated with children in street labor, including exploitation, neglect, and denial of education, all of which are criminalized under national law.”
Many of these migrant children, especially those who are orphaned or come from impoverished families, are primarily engaged in waste collection. The lack of access to education remains a major factor driving these children into labor. The ongoing conflict and crises over the past four decades have forced millions of Afghanistani citizens to flee to neighboring countries, particularly Iran. Following the collapse of the previous Afghanistan government and the Taliban’s return to power, millions more have fled the country, seeking refuge from poverty, political oppression, and ethnic and religious persecution.
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