Statement by Mr. Nader Yar Ahmadi at the 77th Annual Session of the ExCom of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
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Statement
by
Mr. Nader Yar Ahmadi
Head of the Center for Aliens and Foreign Immigrants’ Affairs
Ministry of Interior
A the 77th Annual Session of the Executive Committee of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Geneva, October 12-16, 2026
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In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful
At the outset, I would like to welcome Mr. Barham Salih on his first participation in this session as the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and wish him every success in fulfilling this responsibility.
Mr. Chairman,
Distinguished Representatives,
The burden of hosting 770,000 refugees and millions of foreign migrants continues to weigh heavily on my country, Iran, at a time when, in less than a year, our country has been subjected twice to widespread military aggression by the Israeli regime and the United States. These blatant acts of aggression, in gross violation of the Charter of the United Nations and well-established principles of international law, have targeted our country’s critical infrastructure, leaving thousands dead and injured and tens of thousands of families displaced.
Mr. Chairperson,
Over several decades, despite imposed wars and unilateral coercive measures, Iran has continued to provide extensive services to refugees, whose numbers continue to increase.
Equal and non-discriminatory access to the education system, even amid airstrikes, education of over 70,000 university students, targeted and special support for over 40,000 female heads of household and their children, medical assistance to over 3,000 patients with severe and chronic diseases, and basic health insurance coverage for all refugees are among the services that have continued to date.
In the health sector alone, these efforts have cost more than 3 billion dollars, while UNHCR’s operational requirements in Iran are estimated at around 140 million dollars, of which less than ten percent has been funded.
The Islamic Republic of Iran recognizes UNHCR’s financial difficulties. However, we emphasize that declining resources must not become a pretext for shifting the burden instead of sharing it equitably.
Heavy burden of hosting refugees, in the absence of effective international support, is incompatible with the fundamental principle that “No One Should Be Left Behind.”
Today, the fundamental question is this: Why does the level of international financial support remain disproportionate to the heavy scale of this burden? We believe that answering this question requires a careful assessment of the capacities and constraints of the host country, particularly in light of the impact of war and unilateral coercive measures on its ability to respond.
In conclusion, while reaffirming our support for UNHCR’s overall policies and our readiness to continue cooperating, we will consider the “50 by 35” vision in accordance with our national laws and policies. We nevertheless emphasize that achieving this vision requires an equitable sharing of responsibilities, and that refugee self-reliance must not become a pretext for imposing additional obligations on host countries.
I thank you for your attention.
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