Iran’s Interior Minister: Deportation of Afghan Migrants Reduced Bread Consumption by 6%

Kokcha News Agency: Iran’s Interior Minister, Esmail Khatib, stated that the deportation of Afghan migrants has resulted in a 6% reduction in bread-related transactions. In a televised interview, Khatib explained that the average bread consumption among foreign nationals, especially Afghan migrants, was higher than that of Iranian citizens, which is why their departure has had a noticeable impact on the bread market.

The issue of Afghan migrants using subsidized bread in Iran has been a topic of debate in the past. Recently, an economic analyst claimed that these migrants consume 30 million loaves of bread daily, a claim that Iranian state media denied. However, the Interior Minister said that, based on consumption data, a reduction of over 6% in transactions following the deportation of migrants is not unexpected.

According to Khatib, more than 1.1 million Afghan migrants have been deported from Iran to their home country since the beginning of this year. He emphasized that this process has been carried out with “dignity and respect,” though he acknowledged that “there may have been a few isolated incidents” of misconduct. Meanwhile, some migrants have complained of mistreatment, insults, and humiliation by Iranian officials in camps and during the deportation process.

The Interior Minister added that Taliban officials and the United Nations have also monitored the deportation process and witnessed that it has been conducted “respectfully,” as he claimed.

Iran has stressed that it no longer has the capacity or resources to host Afghan migrants. Khatib stated that his country is not anti-immigrant but described undocumented migrants as a “threat,” claiming that they are not registered in the system with their real identities and cannot be traced if they commit crimes.