An Iranian Foreign Ministry official confirmed that 120 Iranians are being repatriated from the United States following Washington’s decision to expel hundreds of migrants, including Iranian nationals, Tasnim news agency reported.
Hossein Noushabadi, Director General for Parliamentary and Consular Affairs at the Foreign Ministry, said the US immigration authorities have been planning for months to deport about 400 Iranians, most of whom had entered the country illegally, mainly via Mexico, in line with the American administration’s new immigration policy, according to Tasnim.
The deportation, an uncommon instance of cooperation between the two countries, came after months of talks, according to the New York Times, which first reported the move.
In this regard, Noushabadi called on Washington to respect the rights of Iranian migrants in the United States.
“Some (returnees) had residence permits but due to reasons stated by the U.S. immigration office they were included in the list. Of course, their own consent was obtained for their return,” he said.
