Attacking and Burning of Afghan Migrants' Houses in Shiraz
Recently, baseless accusations on social media have blamed Afghan migrants for an increase in leprosy cases in Iran
Reports indicate that several Afghan migrants' homes in Khour, a city in the southern Fars Province of Iran, have been attacked and set on fire. These attacks appear to be in retaliation for the murder of an Iranian man, allegedly killed by an Afghan national.
Mohajir Times — On Friday, July 19, 2024, an Afghan migrant residing in Khour told the media that he had moved his family to Shiraz due to concerns for their safety. Migrants speaking to the media have linked the local people's anger to the murder of a 62-year-old restaurant owner, who was reportedly killed by his 17-year-old apprentice on July 1, 2024, in the city of Khonj.
On that time, IRNA, quoting Mohammad Bardbar, the police chief of Khonj, reported that the restaurant apprentice, "due to personal disputes," killed his employer with "multiple stab wounds" and subsequently turned himself in to the police. Law enforcement and judicial authorities did not disclose the identity and nationality of the murder suspect, but some Afghan migrants in Khour have stated that the suspect was an Afghan national.
According to reports from some Afghan migrants in the area, locals have been avoiding selling goods and food to Afghans since the incident, forcing many to flee from Khour to Shiraz. Some local sources have claimed attempts to set houses on fire, but official Iranian media and police authorities have yet to report on these claims.
In recent years, especially following the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan and the resulting surge of Afghan migrants to Iran, anti-Afghan sentiments have been on the rise in certain parts of the country.
Recently, baseless accusations on social media have blamed Afghan migrants for an increase in leprosy cases in Iran. However, official statistics and reports indicate that the incidence of leprosy in Iran has been decreasing over the past 20 years, "from 72 new cases discovered in 2006 to 9 cases in 2023."
The Islamic Republic of Iran's government has also been executing a campaign to deport hundreds of thousands of Afghan refugees over the past two years. In May of this year, Interior Minister Ahmad Vahidi announced the expulsion of 1.3 million Afghan nationals from the country over the past year. #mohajirtimes
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