KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Qobad Moradi, head of the Center for Communicable Disease Management at Iran’s Ministry of Health, has claimed that Afghan migrants account for 25% of tuberculosis (TB) cases in the country.
Speaking to ILNA news agency on Sunday, March 30, Moradi said that the influx of “undocumented foreigners” has increased Iran’s vulnerability to TB.
He alleged that many Afghan migrants enter Iran already infected with the disease, contributing to its spread within local communities.
“We are working to enhance disease detection among these groups and provide them with specialized healthcare services,” Moradi stated. “While border control is not within our jurisdiction, we are focusing on intensified screening in areas where these individuals reside.”
The United Nations and independent organizations have not verified these claims.
Moradi’s remarks come amid growing anti-Afghan sentiment in Iran, where unverified accusations have fueled xenophobic rhetoric. Last year, widespread hate campaigns targeted Afghan migrants, blaming them for spreading diseases—claims that official sources have repeatedly denied.
This hostile discourse has led to harassment and physical assaults against Afghan migrants on Iranian streets.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) reported that over 1.2 million undocumented Afghan migrants returned from Iran to Afghanistan in 2024, with 67% of these returns classified as forced deportations.
