TEHRAN – A plan on the census of illegal Afghans residing in Iran has been extended until June 22, Majid Mirahmadi, the deputy interior minister, has said, noting that 1.5 million undocumented Afghan refugees have so far been counted.Afghan immigrants can more easily participate in this project and receive a six-month residence and travel card in Iran, he further announced.The census of illegal citizens is being carried out for the first time in this style in the Islamic Republic with the aim of obtaining accurate statistical information on the number of these citizens and identifying them, which has been very well received, he explained.Some 170,000 refugees residing in Iran are now covered by health insurance, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Iran is hosting the world's fourth-largest refugee community.

The majority, which mainly came from Afghanistan and Iraq, live in urban areas. Based on the latest statistics, over 3 million Afghans are living in Iran - some 780,000 Afghan refugees, over 2 million undocumented Afghans, and another 600,000 Afghan passport-holders with Iranian visas.Approximately 31,000 of the most vulnerable refugees are living in 20 settlements located throughout the country.Diverse servicesWithout any discrimination, Iran has provided various services to a large number of refugees and foreign immigrants in the fields of education, health, treatment, livelihood, vocational training, and employment, with minimal assistance from the international community.In light of the pandemic, all refugees, even those undocumented, benefited from access to free primary health services and free COVID-19-related testing, treatment, and hospitalization, just like Iranian nationals.World Health Organization (WHO) representative to Iran Jaffar Hussain has said it is a great achievement for Iran that the government is vaccinating every Afghan refugee going to the vaccination center even before receiving COVID vaccines from Humanitarian Buffer (COVAX).Some 170,000 refugees residing in Iran are now covered by health insurance, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.Iran’s universal public health insurance scheme, known as Salamat Health Insurance, covers hospitalization, para-clinical and outpatient services, including doctor’s visits, radiology, lab tests, and medication costs at any public hospital affiliated with the Ministry of Health.ran spends about 20 trillion rials (nearly $65 million) every year on the education of foreign national students residing in the country, head of the international affairs department of the Ministry of Education Gholamreza Karimi said in March.Over 474,000 Afghan national children are receiving education in Iran completely free of charge, he added.FB/MG