Geneva:Iran's refugee affairs chief has criticized international support for hosting refugees, describing it as insufficient. The country continues to provide public services to millions of refugees and migrants despite facing sanctions and attacks.

According to Islamic Republic News Agency, Nader Yar-Ahmadi, head of Iran's Bureau for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants Affairs, spoke at the 77th annual session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Geneva. He emphasized that Iran has consistently prioritized the rights and dignity of refugees and foreign migrants over decades of hosting them.

Highlighting the services available to Afghan nationals, Yar-Ahmadi noted that 59,658 Afghan students are currently enrolled in Iranian universities and scientific centers. Many Afghan nationals have also graduated from Iran's higher education institutions.

He urged the international community to fulfill its responsibility to support host countries adequately. Yar-Ahmadi called for a fair distribution of responsibilities, increased financial support, proportionate resource allocation, and the removal of barriers preventing host countries from accessing development aid.

He noted that the financial needs of the UNHCR operation in Iran were estimated at approximately $140 million in recent years, but less than one-tenth of that amount was realized in 2025.

Meanwhile, Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, expressed gratitude to Iran for its generous and non-discriminatory hosting of refugees over the past decades.