The Attorney General of Taybad in Iran’s Khorasan-e-Razavi Province announced that the employment of both “legal and undocumented” Afghan migrants in the district is prohibited.
Hojjat Sediqi, speaking at a Taybad bakers’ conference, warned that employers who violate the ban will be referred to judicial authorities and have their business licenses revoked. He did not provide a specific reason for the prohibition.
Previously, the rental, sale, and transfer of property to both “legal and undocumented” Afghan migrants in Taybad had also been banned.
The Iranian government has prohibited the employment of Afghan migrants without proper documentation, while imposing relatively looser restrictions on those with valid Afghan papers. Authorities have stated that priority in hiring should go to Iranian citizens, and only if no qualified Iranians are available may employers hire Afghan nationals. Officials have emphasized that employing undocumented Afghan migrants carries legal consequences.
Over the past two years, Iran and Pakistan have expelled nearly five million Afghan citizens, many of whom were skilled workers. Their return has created labor shortages in host communities. In response, Iran announced plans to issue 200,000 work visas for Afghan citizens, allowing them to enter the country legally if employers require their labor.
