Tehran decries US ‘inappropriate behavior’ against Iranian migrants
Iran condemned the US government’s “inappropriate and humiliating” treatment of immigrants, including Iranian nationals, following its crackdown on undocumented migrants across the United States.
The condemnation came after the US sent 119 undocumented migrants from several Asian countries, including Iran, to Panama, in a move signaling an intensification of the US administration’s deportation effort.
A military plane carrying 119 migrants from countries including Afghanistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, China, Sri Lanka, Turkey and Pakistan flew from California to Panama City on Wednesday in what was expected to be the first of three migrant flights to the country.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei in a statement on Friday called the US move unjustified and a violation of human rights standards.
Baqaei stressed the importance of adhering to international norms, describing the “inhumane actions” of the US government against Iranian nationals as “unacceptable.”
“Iran is the homeland of all Iranians, and our compatriots can freely return to their homeland,” Baqaei stated, reiterating the Foreign Ministry’s readiness to facilitate their return and resolve related issues.
He emphasized that the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs will take all necessary measures to protect the rights of Iranian citizens abroad.
In the three weeks since President Donald Trump took office, Americans have witnessed a frenzy of arrests and deportations.
More than 14,000 undocumented migrants have been arrested since Trump’s inauguration, US Border czar Tom Homan told 77 WABC radio in an interview on Tuesday.