Iran's deputy minister of labor revealed that approximately three million foreign nationals are currently illegally employed within the country.

Mahmoud Karimi Beiranvand said that this is in spite of the fact that the presence of foreign nationals is prohibited in 15 of Iran's provinces, as sanctioned by the Supreme National Security Council.

Speaking to the Tasnim News Agency on Tuesday, Beiranvand said, “Approximately one and a half million foreign nationals hold work permits and have legal presence, with the population of individuals without permits estimated to be twice this figure.”

In recent decades, particularly after the 1980s, Iran has experienced a significant influx of hundreds of thousands of foreign workers. Current laws and regulations primarily entail penalties for employers who unlawfully hire foreign labor or issue warnings in such cases.

However, there has been a notable absence of additional measures to create deterrent conditions, discouraging employers from relying on foreign labor and encouraging the employment of domestic job seekers.

Afghans constitute the majority of the foreign workforce in Iran. Some estimates even suggest that the Afghan population may have reached 10 million since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in 2021.

The rapid growth of the Afghan population in Iran over the past two years has stirred controversy, with certain media outlets and politicians alleging that authorities are actively encouraging the growth, raising concerns about a perceived "threat to national security."

Anti-Afghan sentiments have surged in the past year, with some ultra-nationalists in Iran campaigning on social media for the expulsion of all Afghans on racial grounds, adding a divisive element to the already complex issue.