Saturday August 29, 2020
Kabul (BNA) A comprehensive program for distributing electronic ID cards and machine-readable passports for Afghans living in the Islamic Republic of Iran started officially on Thursday, a statement said.
With the initiation of this program and the issuance of identification documents, Afghans residing in Iran will be able to access their rights and privileges. Resolving identification and legal issues will allow Afghan citizens living in Iran to legally access education, healthcare, insurance, employment, and other official services,” the MoFA statement added.
Before the program's official launch, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation, and the National Statistics and Information Authority of Afghanistan. The MoU was signed by Deputy Foreign Minister Mirwais Nab, Deputy Minister for Refugees and Repatriation Alema, and Head of the National Statistics and Information Authority Javid Rasouli, the MoFA statement added.
The Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs termed the signing of the MoU as a crucial step towards the identification of Afghan citizens residing in Iran and legalizing their presence. Deputy Minister Nab stated that "the distribution of ID cards and machine-readable passports was one of the commitments made during the visit of the high-ranking Afghan Government delegation headed by the Acting Foreign Minister to Iran in early May this year.
He further added that "the signing of this MoU will facilitate the full implementation of the program" and that "the legalization of the presence of Afghans residing in Iran will be a significant step towards protecting their rights, enabling them to communicate with the Iranian authorities formally, and avail themselves of the basic services provided by the Afghan government."
