Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, Iranian Parliament Speaker and candidate for the presidential elections, stated in a television interview that addressing the issue of illegal immigrants, most of whom are Afghans, is part of his campaign agenda.
He said that if he wins the election, he will completely seal Iran's border with Afghanistan.
On Tuesday, during a live television programme, Ghalibaf said, "The eastern borders (with Afghanistan) will definitely be sealed with budget allocation throughout the plan."
Ghalibaf, outlining his election programme, emphasised that "unauthorised foreign nationals will certainly be expelled”.
Previously, Iran's Interior Minister announced that USD three billion have been allocated for the plan to seal the eastern border (with Afghanistan).
According to Iranian officials, nearly six million Afghan immigrants currently live in Iran, with a significant portion residing in the country without valid residency documents.
Ghalibaf is one of the first prominent candidates in Iran's presidential election to make Afghan immigrants a focus of his campaign.
Last week, he described Afghan immigrants as a security threat.
