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A30 WORLD NEWS
Diamars 3 mei 2022

As Iran-Taliban tensions rise, Afghan migrants in tinderbox

(AP) — The Taliban fuel, share water and have a The perils are personal for
members who killed her tortured history — navigate Afghans slipping across the
activist husband offered an increasingly charged rela- border like Husseini. Since
Zahra Husseini a deal: tionship. the Taliban takeover, Iran has
Marry one of us, and you’ll escalated its deportations of
be safe. In past weeks, skirmishes Afghan migrants, according
erupted between Taliban and to the U.N. migration agen-
Husseini, 31, decided to flee. Iranian border guards. Af- cy, warning that its sanctions-
Through swaths of lawless ghans in three cities rallied hit economy cannot handle
flatlands she and her two against Iran. Demonstrators the influx.
small children trekked by hurled stones and set fires
foot, motorcycle and truck outside an Iranian Consul- Youtube video thumbnail
until reaching Iran. ate. A fatal stabbing spree, In the first three months of
allegedly by an Afghan mi- this year, Iran’s deportations
As Afghanistan plunged grant, at Iran’s holiest shrine jumped 60% each month,
into economic crisis after sent shockwaves through the said Ashley Carl, deputy
the United States withdrew country. chief of the agency’s Afghan-
troops and the Taliban seized istan mission. Many of the
power, the 960-kilometer Political analysts say even as 251,000 returned from Iran
(572-mile) long border with both nations do not want an this year bear the wounds and
Iran became a lifeline for Af- escalation, long-smoldering scars of the arduous trip, he
ghans who piled into smug- hostilities risk spiraling out said, surviving car accidents, situation of refugees,” Teh- southeastern Khost province.
glers’ pickups in desperate of control. gunshots and other travails. ran-based political analyst Iran suspended all of its dip-
search of money and work. Rea Ghobeishavi said of the lomatic missions in Afghani-
“You have one of the world’s Roshangol Hakimi, a increasing friction between stan for 10 days.
But in recent weeks the des- worst-simmering refugee 35-year-old who fled to Iran Afghans and Iranians.
ert crossing, long a danger- crises just chugging along on after the Taliban takeover, Even as the gate of its con-
ous corner of the world, has a daily pace and historical en- said smugglers held her and Iran has grown more anxious sulate smoldered, Iran’s spe-
become a growing source of mity,” said Andrew Watkins, her 9-year-old daughter hos- as a string of bloody attacks cial envoy for Afghanistan
tension as an estimated 5,000 senior Afghanistan expert at tage over a week until her in Afghanistan targeting the deflected. Hassan Kazemi
Afghans traverse it each day the United States Institute relatives paid ransom. country’s minority Hazara Qomi blamed the escalat-
and the neighbors — erst- of Peace. “Earthquakes will Shiites makes clear that ex- ing tensions on a vague “en-
while enemies that trade happen.” “They would feed us with tremist threats proliferate emy” seeking to subvert the
polluted water and hard, stale despite Taliban promises to nations’ relations. Afghan
Denmark justice minister bread,” she said. “We were provide security. Foreign Minister Amir Khan
dying.”
Muttaqi raised his concerns
“There are reports that some with the Iranian ambassador.
resigns to prompt Cabinet The lucky ones land in the extremists are entering Iran
jumble of Tehran, squeezing easily with refugees,” said “The ill-treatment of Afghan
reshuffle into dank and crowded alley- Abbas Husseini, a prominent refugees in Iran adversely af-
ways. Iran estimates at least a Afghan journalist in Tehran, fects relations between the
million Afghans have sought describing mounting para- two countries ... allowing an-
refuge in the country over noia in Iran. tagonists to conspire,” Mut-
the last eight months. taqi was quoted as saying.
Last month, Iran’s most sa-
Like many, Husseini lives cred Shiite shrine in the His careful tone betrays a
in legal limbo, vulnerable to northeastern city of Mash- troubled history.
harassment and exploitation. had turned into a scene of
Her boss at the tailor’s shop carnage when an assailant In 1998, Iran nearly went to
refuses to pay her salary. Her stabbed three clerics, killing war against the Taliban af-
landlord threatens to kick her two — a rare act of violence ter 10 of its diplomats were
out. She can barely cobble at the compound. The at- killed when their consulate
together enough cash to feed tacker was identified in me- was stormed in the north-
her children. dia as an Afghan national of ern city of Mazar-e-Sharif.
Uzbek ethnicity. But after the U.S.-led inva-
“We have nothing and no- sion, Tehran’s Shiite leaders
where to go,” she said from In the following days, a surge grew wary of the American
a cramped room in southern of videos agitating against military presence on their
Tehran, furnished with just a Afghan refugees flooded Ira- doorstep and took a more
donated gas heater, chairs and nian social media. Impossible pragmatic stance toward the
a few velour blankets. to authenticate, the grainy Sunni militant group.
(AP) — Denmark an- integration minister and was
nounced a Cabinet re- replaced by Christian Rab- clips — footage showing
shuffle on Monday after jerg Madsen, a member of As more Afghans arrive, help- Iranians insulting and beat- Now, analysts say, with both
ing them gets harder. Iranian ing up Afghans — have been nations severed from the
Justice Minister Nick parliament.
Haekkerup resigned to Foreign Ministry spokesman dismissed as misleading in global banking system and
Saeed Khatibzadeh lamented Iran but in Afghanistan have starved for cash, they have
become the new head of It was the second govern- last month that “waves of dis-
the Danish Brewers’ As- ment shuffle since Frederik- placed Afghans cannot con- dominated headlines, stoking come to depend on each oth-
er. Neither wants to see ten-
sociation. sen became prime minister tinue to Iran” because Iran’s public fury.
as head of a minority Social sions mount further.
Prime Minister Mette Democratic government on “capacities are limited.” Demonstrators attacked the
Iran’s youth unemployment Iranian Consulate in the “Through neighbors, Iran
Frederiksen, of the Social June 27, 2019. hovers over 23%. Iran’s cur-
western city of Herat with can sanctions-bust, exchange
Democrats, chose Integra- rency, the rial, has shriveled stones and protested at Iran’s currency, barter and keep
tion Minister Mattias Tesfaye Haekkerup will take up his to less than 50% of its value Embassy in Kabul. “Stop kill- its economy alive,” said Sa-
as the new justice minister to new job as head of the indus- since 2018.
replace Haekkerup. try association for Denmark’s ing Afghans,” pleaded pro- nam Vakil, deputy director
testers in the Afghan capital. of Chatham House’s Middle
beer business as of June 1, “The biggest challenge is that “Death to Iran,” chanted East and North Africa Pro-
Housing Minister Kaare Dy- and he will resign from par- Iran is not ready for the new crowds in Herat and the gram.
bvad Bek became the new liament.