According to officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran, 1,530 Afghan nationals have entered Iran through the Dogharoon border crossing over the past three days to attend the funeral of Ali Khamenei, the former leader of the Islamic Republic.
Hossein Jamshidi, the governor of Taybad County, told the state-run IRNA news agency that the visitors had arrived individually and as part of organized convoys from the Afghan provinces of Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif, Ghazni, Daykundi, and Helmand. He said that after completing the required legal procedures, the visitors were transported to the city of Mashhad aboard 35 buses.
Jamshidi added that Afghan nationals would be permitted to enter Iran through the Dogharoon border crossing only until the end of Tuesday. According to him, the admission process is conducted daily from 8:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. local time.
He also said that Afghans who entered Iran to attend the funeral must return to Afghanistan on July 11 and 12. Jamshidi noted that the Islamic Republic had issued 2,500 special visas for Afghan citizens to attend the ceremony through its four consular missions in Afghanistan.
According to the Taybad governor, more than 1,700 residents of Taybad County including both Shiite and Sunni citizens have also registered to participate in the funeral. He added that, including those traveling to Mashhad by private vehicles, the total number of participants from the county is expected to exceed 5,000.
The Islamic Republic has issued special visas for a number of Afghan citizens despite the fact that, according to multiple sources, the issuance of ordinary visas for Afghans has been suspended for approximately one year.
According to findings by Afghanistan International, the suspension of regular visa issuance has fueled a black market for Iranian visas. The outlet reported that Iranian tourist visas are being traded for between 80,000 and 150,000 Afghanis, while Iranian work visas are selling for 45,000 to 60,000 Afghanis.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
