RASC News Agency: Recent revelations from Iranian media underscore a substantial financial influx into Mashhad, Iran, as Afghanistani refugees are reported to have invested a staggering sum exceeding one billion dollars. According to a detailed report by IRIB (Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting) on Saturday, December 9th, citing Bashir Ahmad Arbabi, it has been disclosed that a notable 45 to 50 percent of foreign investors in the Khorasan Razavi region are Afghanistani merchants. The figures provided in these reports shed light on the dynamic economic involvement of approximately 16,000 Afghanistani immigrants presently participating in commercial activities within the Khorasan Razavi market in Iran. This active engagement amounts to a colossal investment exceeding one billion dollars.
Mr. Arbabi further elucidated that a cohort of seasoned and affluent merchants, armed with substantial financial portfolios, has strategically migrated to Iran, with a particular focus on the thriving city of Mashhad. He emphasized that Iran stands as the principal destination for Afghanistani investors. It is imperative to recognize Hussein Salimi’s previous assertion, the Head of the Foreign Investment Association of Iran, affirming that a substantial majority of foreign investment applications in the country are attributed to Afghanistani entrepreneurs.
This financial shift transpires against the backdrop of the resurgent Taliban in Afghanistan, compelling a significant exodus of Afghanistani investors who have sought refuge in neighboring countries, notably Iran. However, a nuanced perspective is essential, considering the pressing issue of the forced expulsion of Afghanistani refugees from Iran, instigating palpable concerns within the Afghanistani investor community.
Reports emanating from Iranian authorities indicate an alarming figure: over 400,000 Afghanistani migrants subjected to forced expulsion, forcibly repatriated to their homeland. Crucially, this narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the Taliban’s ascension to power in Afghanistan, propelling a considerable exodus of citizens who, gripped by fear of the Taliban, sought sanctuary in neighboring nations.
