MOSCOW, October 17 (HS/RIA Novosti) - Iran has granted residency permits to nearly 10,000 former employees of the security forces of Afghanistan's republican government, which was overthrown by the Taliban, the head of the Center for Foreign Citizens and Migrants Affairs of the Iranian Interior Ministry, Nader Yarahmadi, has said.

Yarahmadi made this statement at a meeting in Geneva with UN High Commissioner for Refugees Barham Salih, the Afghanistan International news portal reported on Friday.

Currently, the country hosts 770,000 Afghan refugees, and temporary residency permits have been granted to, among others, nearly 10,000 former employees of Afghanistan's security forces, the Iranian official was quoted as saying.

Yarahmadi added that Iran has also issued residency documents to 110,000 women heading households, though he did not specify their nationality.

He called for sustainable financial assistance and a fairer distribution of responsibility for refugees between host states and the international community.

To ensure the sustainable return of refugees to their homeland, proper conditions in countries of origin, regional cooperation, and sufficient resources are necessary, the Iranian Interior Ministry representative said.

During the meeting, the UN high commissioner stressed the need for interaction with the current government of Afghanistan. He said that refusing dialogue with the country's ruling authorities or isolating Afghanistan by the international community will not help solve existing problems, the portal noted.

According to UN data, over nine months of this year, Iran has deported more than half a million Afghan migrants. By the end of September, 492,300 Afghan asylum seekers had been expelled, and more than 89,000 people returned to Afghanistan voluntarily.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Indrani Sarkar