Being an Afghan, Immigrant, Child, Woman, and Poor in Iran

 Əlirza Quluncu (Alirza Quluncu) - April 20, 2016

Mehri Jafari

Human rights defender Mehri Jafari comments on the killing of an Afghan girl child in Iran.

In an interview with Voice of America, Mehri Jafari discusses the case of a 6-year-old Afghan girl who was kidnapped and killed by a 17-year-old Iranian boy. This incident has garnered widespread attention in the Afghan and Iranian media, as well as on social media, sparking significant reactions from the public and human rights activists.

Mehri Jafari, a lawyer and human rights activist living in London, not only addresses this incident but also shares her thoughts and analyses regarding Afghan refugees and migrants in Iran, as well as the recent refugee crisis in Europe and the issue of missing refugee children.

The human rights defender emphasizes that immigrant and refugee families live under more challenging conditions compared to other families. She states, "In situations of violence, parents cannot protect their children as expected from a family. They are marginalized in every way. They cannot protect themselves and their children like other families do... Afghan children do not have equal rights in education, health, living conditions, development, and other areas. The situation worsens in countries like Iran, where the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child is not considered."

Mehri Jafari stresses that the factors of being an immigrant, a woman, a child, and poor all lead to individuals being defenseless against violence, and the intersection of these factors increases the risk of being defenseless even more. She mentions that the ethnic and national identity of these individuals, as well as the conditions in the countries they migrate to, also influence their situation.

"When a girl child is involved, just being a girl means she is essentially a minority in our societies. Because she is a girl, her ability to defend herself is diminished. Being from a poor community increases this risk. Being a child also complicates her protection. Furthermore, not only being a refugee, but also being Afghan and in Iran increases the likelihood of violence. Unfortunately, there is a lack of adherence to minimum laws for the protection of refugees in Iran..."

The lawyer points out that although the Iranian state has signed the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the provisions regarding the necessity for refugee and migrant children to have equal rights and opportunities with other children are not being implemented.

Mehri Jafari emphasizes the need to address existing problems in both communities and states regarding the solutions to issues faced by migrant children in various countries.

"Our perspective on immigrants from other countries is reflected in the functioning of law enforcement and in state programs and plans... Work is needed on both sides; one is the state, and the other is the community itself. Perspectives must change so that everyone says, 'Another person's child is like my child; when I go to another country, I want my child to be treated this way... However, changing the public's perspective often takes time. Different approaches should be sought regarding states. There should also be pressure on states," the human rights activist adds.