Afghan Refugees without Residence Documents Can Study in Iran’s Schools: Official
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Children of Afghan refugees in Iran, including those without residence permits, are allowed to enroll in public schools and receive free education, a senior official with the northeastern of province Khorasan Razavi’s Education Department said.
“From Saturday on, Afghan refugees can enroll in Iran’s state schools,” Hossein Shadkam said in an interview with the Tasnim News Agency.
He also said the problem faced by Afghan nationals in enrolling their children in some public schools was because those schools had not received the related circular, adding that the problem has been resolved.
Earlier last month, a new decree was issued by Iran’s Interior Ministry, enabling Afghan expatriates to get schooling for their children free of charge.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei issued an order last year stressing that all Afghan children, even children of the undocumented migrants living in the country illegally, have the right to register and study in Iran’s schools.
Back in May 2015, Afghan Minister of Refugees and Repatriation Seyed Hussain Alemi Balkhi lauded Iran for providing Afghan children with the opportunity to receive education on Imam Khamenei’s orders.
In January 2016, Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer Abdullah Abdullah also hailed the decision to give Afghan children the opportunity to go to school in Iran as a “historic measure.”
“We are grateful”, he said, adding that Ayatollah Khamenei’s order has given some 50,000 Afghan students the opportunity to get education in Iran.
