The US will return 120 Iranians to Iran over the next two days, media members of the Iranian state reported Tuesday, citing foreign ministry officials.
Most of the group entered the United States “illegally” through Mexico, the consular director of Hossein Noushabadi, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and told Tasnim News, adding that deported people will arrive in Iran through Qatar.
Officials said the Iranian government has called on the U.S. government to be “sensitive in respecting Iran’s immigration rights.” Iran has an “interest protection agency” at the Pakistan Embassy in Washington, DC.
The New York Times first reported that the Trump administration would deport “about 100” Iranians after reaching a deal between the US and Iranian governments. The Times cited two senior Iranian officials involved in the negotiations as well as US officials familiar with the plan.
The group is one of 400 Iranians who “mainly entered the United States illegally” and are scheduled to be deported, Nuhabadi said. Officials argued that some deported people have argued that debate migrants “has been on the agenda for several months.”
Noushabadi said the group had legally left Iran and that there would be no problem with their return.
“The way they entered the US is a different matter, but they legally left Iran. There is no obstacle to their return to their homeland, but Iran supports its own citizen,” he added.
CNN contacted the Iranian government for comment.
