Afghan delegation to visit Iran to talk border tension, refugee challenges

An Afghan delegation led by the Taliban's acting minister of refugees and repatriations is set to visit Iran's capital Tehran to hold talks over refugee-related challenges and the border tension, local media reported.

"We are trying to visit Iran to talk about all the problems that Afghans are struggling with there; we hope we can talk and solve the problems," said Khalilurahman Haqqani, acting minister of refugee and repatriations, according to TOLOnews.

Meanwhile, Afghan students and refugees residing in Iran said that they have always faced visa issues as well as residence and employment problems across Iran.

"One of the serious challenges is receiving visas, when the students receive visas and come for an education. The second problem is the permission for residence, it takes a long time," TOLOnews quoted Khan Mohammad Seerat, an Afghan student in Iran as saying.

An Afghan delegation visit to Tehran comes following the recent tensions between Islamic Emirate forces and Iranian border guards.

On Saturday, a dispute occurred between Afghanistan and Iranian border forces in the Islam Qala district of Herat province after Islamic Emirate forces wanted to pave a road alongside the border.

Afghan and Iranian border forces have faced each other several times in Nimroz and Herat provinces since the Islamic Emirate took power in Afghanistan last year.